Remember Imperfection: When Things Aren’t Perfect

Listen. Mistakes happen. But you are the one to change things to perfection, If you measure your life by a standard of perfection you will never be happy. Accept yourself where you are and accept the grace you deserve.

There will be some people who will never accept you. They will never love the way your eyes crinkle with the happiness echoed in your laughter. They will never accept your kindness, given freely and without an expectation of return. They will not indulge your thoughts, your dreams, your devil’s advocacy. They will tear down the silk walls of your heart and rip the satin ribbon that ties your soul down to your bones. They will leave you as broken as you allow them. Do not allow them to break you. Swallow your grace and your pride – you are not their expectation of failure.

But sometimes you will fail. Yourself. Others. And when you do, There will never be enough words to tell some people how sorry you are. Some people wield forgiveness as a weapon. Like dragons breathing fire and blowing smoke. Some will dangle it on the end of a string like a carrot as if you are a horse that is racing to the finish line of friendship, only to realize that you will never attain it. You cannot be quicker than that and you shouldn’t have to be. There are some who will accept the gift of the dove you extend to them with unfathomable poise and will love you through your darkest moments because they know that you are not the tunnel, you are the light at the end. They know that you are, after all, still a human being inside those high expectations and lofty dreams. And when you look down from the highest among them, you can close your eyes and expect to sink or you can expect to fly.

Fling open those gates of shame. There is no shame in your humanity. There is nothing pitiful about your lack of perfection. This is who you are: crinkled eyes, laughter like Christmas morning. You are not a speck on the horizon – you are a star on it. Extend yourself the grace that you are owed and accept the gift that you are. From your place where you can look down and close your eyes and expect to sink or expect to fly.