I GAVE UP . . . and so glad I did!
Came across this car today in the parking lot at the Y. It made me smile! How could you ever be in a bad mood driving this cute thing around?
Something happened to me today that a lot of folks would consider really embarrassing. In fact, a few years ago I might have been mortified and let the embarrassment ruin my day. I would have been embarrassed because the event would have shown others that my little world was not the perfect world that it might appear. Let me tell you something, I am so happy I have finally learned that there are no perfect worlds. I'm so happy I gave that thinking up a few years back? One of my devotions this week was about the lack of perfection in our lives. How true is that! There are no perfect homes. There are no perfect jobs. There are no perfect schools, churches, neighborhoods. There are no perfect families. There are not perfect children. Life is messy. Families are messy. If anyone tells you different then maybe they are blessed to be that one person in that one moment.
As a young mother I wanted so badly for those picture perfect moments. I wanted my little boys be all bright and shiny in photographs and the Holiday table setting to be just so, and the events to go perfectly. Was I ever in for a rude awakening! I was just setting myself (or my family) up for failure. I have yet to have a Norman Rockwell type of gathering at my table! These days I'm just happy for folks to be home, together at the table and, at that table, there is invariably some eating with fingers, wiping hands on chair cushions and the occasional release of some type of bodily noise. Really. Where's the perfect family moment in that?
In those same younger days, and even earlier, I wanted the perfect self. That's a terrible, lonely, frustrating road. Now, there are women out there with what the media terms as "perfect" bodies. I've just never had one of those. I've talked about that "body image devil" before and he used to really beat me up. Unfortunately, I think he beats up a lot of women. Given all that we are bombarded with on a daily basis through magazines, social media, television and advertisements, it's no wonder so many women of all ages are still on that hamster wheel striving for some unattainable goal of perfection. And who are those people who get to tell us what that exactly is anyway?
I am so grateful that life has thrown me some curve balls, or I have matured or just gotten too frustrated and tired to continue on that hamster wheel. I can see the imperfections when I look in the mirror, but I'm okay with them. I'll be honest, it's incredibly freeing.
I am so grateful that I am not holding my family up to those impossible standards any longer. We will never be a perfect little family. I'm not even sure what that is. I've learned that while I thought others had the perfect magic formula, they are just like the rest of us. Things happen in life. Things happen with people and things happen to people. Oftentimes it has nothing to do with our plans and definitely not for our plans for making a perfect life.
I can relax a little more. Go with the flow a bit more. Take it one day at a time and not try to plan the perfect event. I know I'm not the perfect mother, wife, friend, housekeeper, or cook. As a fitness instructor, I don't even have a six pack. Things can happen and since I know it's life and there's no perfect formula, I don't even get too embarrassed anymore. Bring it on.
I'm hoping you have learned this far before I did! I'm hoping you are off the exhausting hamster mill and are enjoying all of the imperfections of your day and your life. The imperfections are what keep it real, interesting and fun.
If you do have the perfect family meals please tell me your secret! Are you enjoying all the imperfect days? Your imperfect family? Do you see others still on the hamster mill? Any bodily noises at your table? Wouldn't flowers on your car make you smile?
HAVE A GREAT, FUN WEEKEND!
As a young mother I wanted so badly for those picture perfect moments. I wanted my little boys be all bright and shiny in photographs and the Holiday table setting to be just so, and the events to go perfectly. Was I ever in for a rude awakening! I was just setting myself (or my family) up for failure. I have yet to have a Norman Rockwell type of gathering at my table! These days I'm just happy for folks to be home, together at the table and, at that table, there is invariably some eating with fingers, wiping hands on chair cushions and the occasional release of some type of bodily noise. Really. Where's the perfect family moment in that?
In those same younger days, and even earlier, I wanted the perfect self. That's a terrible, lonely, frustrating road. Now, there are women out there with what the media terms as "perfect" bodies. I've just never had one of those. I've talked about that "body image devil" before and he used to really beat me up. Unfortunately, I think he beats up a lot of women. Given all that we are bombarded with on a daily basis through magazines, social media, television and advertisements, it's no wonder so many women of all ages are still on that hamster wheel striving for some unattainable goal of perfection. And who are those people who get to tell us what that exactly is anyway?
I am so grateful that life has thrown me some curve balls, or I have matured or just gotten too frustrated and tired to continue on that hamster wheel. I can see the imperfections when I look in the mirror, but I'm okay with them. I'll be honest, it's incredibly freeing.
I am so grateful that I am not holding my family up to those impossible standards any longer. We will never be a perfect little family. I'm not even sure what that is. I've learned that while I thought others had the perfect magic formula, they are just like the rest of us. Things happen in life. Things happen with people and things happen to people. Oftentimes it has nothing to do with our plans and definitely not for our plans for making a perfect life.
I can relax a little more. Go with the flow a bit more. Take it one day at a time and not try to plan the perfect event. I know I'm not the perfect mother, wife, friend, housekeeper, or cook. As a fitness instructor, I don't even have a six pack. Things can happen and since I know it's life and there's no perfect formula, I don't even get too embarrassed anymore. Bring it on.
I'm hoping you have learned this far before I did! I'm hoping you are off the exhausting hamster mill and are enjoying all of the imperfections of your day and your life. The imperfections are what keep it real, interesting and fun.
If you do have the perfect family meals please tell me your secret! Are you enjoying all the imperfect days? Your imperfect family? Do you see others still on the hamster mill? Any bodily noises at your table? Wouldn't flowers on your car make you smile?
HAVE A GREAT, FUN WEEKEND!
