Perfection....Not.

I am not perfect.

There, i said it...whew, what a load off my chest.....i am sorry if i shocked anyone, but the truth needs to be known.

I yell at my kids at the wrong times, i am grumpy towards my husband when he doesn't deserve it.  I forget to call my friends, burn dinner, forget that my sons are out of clean underwear.

Seriously, i know several of my friends just laughed while reading that....saying "Yeah...no, sharon, we know that about you!"  Yet, my family and friends love me, they accept me, faults and all, and even laugh with me during my falls. 

Okay, so here is my question - if it is okay for you to love me and support me even though i am not perfect - why can't you love yourself for the exact same reason?

Why can you love me, flaws and all, but not love yourself?  

Why do you strive to be so perfect?   Who are you trying to impress?  Who do you think needs you to be perfect?  Do you think your children will permanently be emotionally damaged if they don't have clean socks?  Do you think your friends will only like you if your house is spotless and you have a garden worthy of buckingham palace?  If you have fresh cookies in the cookie jar instead of oreos? 

God doesn't want you to be perfect, He expected that of his Son, but not of all His children.   God has a sense of humor (i have four kids and am married to a minister - enough said) and He is a loving Father. 

Your friends don't want perfection, they want you.  Who wants to hang out with someone who is perfect, who never makes mistakes and does everything better?

And your family - years from now, all your mistakes will be something to be talked about during a family reunion.  Last time my kids were all in the same room, we laughed over some of the fun and odd things we had all done.  My grandchildren will have all heard the story about exploding eggs.

Perfection - it isn't what people want from you.  They want your time, your laughter, and stories of your mistakes...that they can all relate to.   They will laugh WITH you, not at you.

Forgiveness is Devine...namely when you forgive yourself. 

I love you.