It doesn’t always look pretty.
My friend Wendy has perfectly white teeth.
My friend Roseann has a perfectly clean house.
My friend Diane is the perfect homeschool mom.
My friend Shelley lives in the house of her dreams.
My friend Aimee is a super-frugal savvy shopper.
My friend Isabelle has a perfect marriage.
My friend Nina is a good saver.
My sister Sharon has the faith to move mountains and courage to match.
Although I have experienced flashes of these things, perfect moments here and there, I am not and do not do all them all. BUT let me tell you what I realized today while studying about hope in the Preach My Gospel manual. I learned that being an example of diligence and hope and patience, even in all of my imperfection is as important as doing the right thing all the time.
Do you know what that means?!
It means that I don’t have to obsess about that fact that I’m not perfect all the time.
It means that I can take a breath, scan the room (or the mirror, whatever the case may be), soak up my own reality, and move forward doing the best that I can.
But more important than anything, it means that my children get to see how to move ahead in life and not get discouraged or paralyzed even when everything doesn’t go their way.
Because my home is not clean all the time, my children get to learn from me how to clean it and actually get the satisfaction of seeing a corner of it change from chaos to order.
Because my body is not perfect yet, my children get to see me go from struggling to jog for one minute to running a 5K.
Because my husband and I fight sometimes, my children get to see how we always make up and truly enjoy each other.
Because I am not a perfectly patient homeschool mom, my children get to learn that even adults need to apologize to kids sometimes.
Because my teeth are a little yellow, we get to see if Crest Whitening Strips really work.
It’s direction, not speed! Stephen Covey said something about successful families that rings very true to me. He said that successful families are off track about 90% of the time, but the difference is that they know what the track looks like and they keep going back to it.
Today, I am going to feel GREAT about looking completely derailed, because I know what the track looks like and I’m going back to it every time. Wanna come?
12 comments:
I love that you are blogging! It will be fun to keep up with what is going on with you and your family. I have a blog as well. Feel free to come visit.
My philosophy has always been "one thing at a time". One room at a time..One problem at a time...etc. Your doing great!
Ditto, ditto, ditto. Excellent thoughts Debbie!
-Aimee :0)
This message has come at a PERFECT time for my day too! Thanks for sharing -- it means more than you know! I'm proud to have you in my life as an example..
oh ya, debbie, this is my kind of blog, keep it coming!!!!! thank you, i needed this today...was sitting in the tub and was very sad....i am going to go through today and know that i know what that track looks like and know that THIS is good!!!! you are so so so cool!
mist
I've enjoyed reading your blog. Many times, I have to make myself perfectly in everything, but the realization came to my mind that would be impossible for each of us to be perfect in the world. When I wanted everything to make its perfect, but it doesn't always happen and yes, it can overwhelm me. I'd have to learn and take one a time that I can be faithfully and patience.
I agree with you completely. Thanks for the reminder and inspiration!
I finally decided that accepting myself as imperfect while having a sense of humor about it would up the odds that I can influence my kids to live a good life. It is supposed to be a joyful process, after all!
Can't wait for your next post!
(from another homeschooling friends mom..)
Yes. I feel good if I've mostly got most of the things done that are going to keep my kids safe, educated and happy. And I consider my house clean enough if there's no dirt encrusted, mold growing on, or bugs crawling on things. So, on an average day, if you come to my house, you might find toys scattered across the floor, an overflowing laundry basket waiting to be folded, and a sink half-full of dirty dishes! I'm proud of the fact that I spend time playing on the floor with my kids.
I'm thankful that my husband is glad that I spend time with the kids. It would be hard if he saw the mess and wondered what I had been doing all day!
You should write a book Debbie! This is a fantastic message for any mom. Thanks!
Wow, deep Debbie:) I love it! Thanks for sharing.
Hey Debbie, my daughter sent me your blog, obviously she feels I am too much a perfectionist. Oh, if it weren't true! I loved your epiphany and will remember that at least I know what the track looks like. From an old grannie, Annie
You don't know me, but I'm Shelley's sister in law. I love this post. Sometimes I want to throw the white flag up and surrender to the house. There is usually only one clean room at a time because my 3 small children are destroying the other ones while I'm cleaning the one. I like your quote from Covey...I'm going to remember that.
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