Thankful for… Imperfection

Plant (mostly dead)

I have a black thumb. My plants die as fast as I can pot them. Here’s one on my deck right now. But when I look out my kitchen window as I sit writing at the table, I mostly just see the happy flash of red. Whatever has died behind it–well, I don’t focus on that. That little pop of red is a firecracker, a smile, a ruby, a surprise. And it’s beautiful. So I focus on that part of it. I am grateful that I am not a perfectionist. Perfectionists never seem very happy with anything, which must make it rather painful to live in our highly imperfect world.

6 Responses

  1. I love hearing this about you. I can’t keep anything alive! On my deck is a happy red flower whose name escapes me. For some reason unknown to me, it continues to bloom. Perfection amidst imperfection.

  2. I used to have a black thumb too, but now I’m amazed at the small, beautiful garden I’ve been able to cultivate over the past few years. I even have basil plants growing from seeds that I harvested last year! I guess NOT being a perfectionist has given me lots of room to grow.

    1. Lovely–sometimes bits of perfection emerge when we’re not trying to hard. What a beautiful lesson!

  3. My black thumbs salute yours in imperfect solidarity. Can thumbs salute? They…waggle at your thumbs? That sounds weird. THEY GIVE YOU TWO BLACK THUMBS UP!

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