***This post is written as part of Sprite’s Keeper’s weekly Spin Cycle, the topic of which, this week, is “Motto.” Thanks, Jen!***
I am not one to sugar-coat my life for the internet, or anyone.
Oh wait—hadn’t you noticed?
I am so easily annoyed with bloggers who do that—you know the kind? Bloggers whose lives are perfectly lovely, whose homes are sparklingly spotless, whose husbands are always so thoughtful (SQUEE!!!)…they get on my nerves.
Now, it would be a disservice to myself and my readers if I didn’t try to see my own opinions from other people’s perspectives, so let me take a moment to do that: I can certainly see the appeal of living a perfect life, or at least portraying such for the internet. Everybody wants good things in their lives—everybody wants their dreams to come true. I don’t know any girl who wants the worst for herself. And though it’s true that nobody’s life really is perfect, I can see why some people fake like it is—it’s nice to be perfect.
Unfortunately, perfection does not exist {at least, not in this realm of the universe}.
Classic PK & me. Circa 2006.
Back when Poor Kyle and I were dating—that is, when he used to go out of his way to make me happy {as opposed to now, where he goes out of his way to annoy the beep out of me}—I would do that obnoxious girlfriend thing where, any time he told me he loved me, I’d ask, “But why?”
His go-to answer (sure, he had a standard go-to answer—wouldn’t you, if your girlfriend begged for compliments all the time?) was always, “Because you’re perfect.”
And you know what? I hated that. It was sweet of him to say, for sure, but I knew, even then, that true perfection of character was an impossible ideal—an arbitrary, unattainable standard. I dreaded the day that we’d find ourselves quarreling. I always knew the day would come that Poor Kyle would realise I was far from perfect.
That’s the thing about being put high up on a pedestal—falling off is quite inevitable.
And so, I decided years ago that I didn’t want to be perfect. I’ve never needed a perfect GPA—just good enough to get me into college (and thereafter, just good enough to get my degree). I don’t strive for perfect hair or skin—it would take too much energy (and nonexistent money) to maintain. Instead, I try to look my best when it matters…and I try not to care when it doesn’t. I’m not a perfect baker or housekeeper or piano player or daughter. I’m certainly not a perfect wife. I try my hardest at all those things, but if—no, when—I inevitably screw something up, I (almost always) let it go.
The Nester’s motto is “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.”
I’ve always been drawn to, and inspired by, that sentiment; but it’s not quite right for my own life motto. I need it to be more comprehensive… For me, the motto that I have lived by during most of my adult life (though I am only learning it lately {there’s something to be said about the self-improving nature of cathartic blogging}) is this:
“I don’t have to be perfect or beautiful—or even just okay—to be good enough.”
I’m very forgiving of my own trespasses. Isn’t that nice of me?
What motto describes your life?
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