I had an epiphany yesterday about what perfection is and what it isn't.
I'm continuously trying to juggle many things. Sometimes, there are multiples items or people that need my attention right now.
I used to think perfection, as in everything being perfect all at once-- every one's hair combed, a clean house, delicious healthy dinners, volunteer work, children who've had plenty of quality time playing together like little angels -- was possible. Then I heard this guy talk about balance, how if we're doing one thing we can't possibly being doing another at the same time (not to say we can't be efficient multi-taskers, but there is still only so much we can do at once). Which means if I'm out on the golf course perfecting my golf swing, I can't simultaneously be home cleaning and cooking the perfect meal.
Perfection is really...balance; the meaning of balance changing as our circumstances and abilities do. It's knowing what to prioritize and focus on, sometimes from moment to moment.
My perfect day today included going to school with no make-up, a shirt with a toothpaste spot on it, and a cute monarch butterfly princess with a tangled mess of blond hair so we could get those teachers their thank you gifts before it was too late; leaving my blog to tidy up before the kids got home; choosing to sit with my son and chat about his day when he said "come on Mom, lets talk about petty things," (he wants to buy a pet) while he enjoyed some last-day-of-school ice cream (I wanted to make cookies, but you know how that turned out) ; choosing to change, feed, and change and feed again--my baby who had woken up unexpectedly; choosing to let everyone entertain themselves for a few minutes while I blogged.
...Choosing to pull together some leftovers for dinner and tidy up the kitchen before my husband got home; spending a few minutes going through papers my kids brought home from school. Choosing to leave my dishes so I could snuggle up with my three and six year-old and read stories in jammas. Stepping over my pile of laundry to rock and sing to my baby, then gaze in wonder at my perfect sleeping creation. Then coming back to the laundry and dishes for a few minutes, spending a few with my husband, and then off to bed so I can have enough energy for tomorrow.
If you looked at my life from the outside, you'd see all sorts of imperfect things: you would have seen a mom with no make-up and a faded shirt with an uncombed child at the school, Miracle Gro waiting on my porch for the third day in a row, toys scattered about, fingerprints on the windows. But just because it may not look perfect all the time, doesn't mean I didn't do what my perfect was that day. I wish I could have it all, but the reality is, I have to choose, many times between lots of good things. And I want to focus on the things that last-- the ones that will make a real difference to my little people and my husband. Some days that will mean choosing the laundry or the dishes in order to keep balance. But most days, I want to make sure I'm putting first things first: God, husband, kids. It may not always be pretty, but it can be perfect. My kind of perfect.
Some links: Balance and Good, Better, Best
