I'll let you in on a secret: up close you can see dozens of errors, from the minuscule to the painfully visible.
The most obvious are even noticeable in the above photo. Look at the top yellow stripe, immediately to the right of the door. We spilled blue paint in that section, and couldn't effectively wipe it away. There are two green spills in the large orange stripe, including a rather obvious one on the door. Four coats of orange couldn't cover it up. Our favorite mistake is a drip of green (green was our nemesis in this project) on the white doorframe.
Throughout the drafting, chalk-lining, taping and painting, we reminded ourselves that we were creating the mural "out of love, not perfection."
Becoming parents, after all, requires coming to terms with our imperfections.
We know we are going to make many, many mistakes as new parents - perhaps dozens in the first week alone, millions throughout the bun's life.
In addition, the bun - being a product of the two of us - is going to reflect our flaws back to us.
We have to learn to accept our own and each other's defects, because the bun will be imperfect in many of the same ways Carrie and I are. In order to love the bun fully, we must accept those flaws, forgiving mistakes and imperfections with an open heart and remembering that an awesome work of art isn't eclipsed by a few green drips.
A bun raised with love, not perfection, is the goal.
I feel ya, Bill. This was a timely read, my friend. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteyou are right about that! nothing can make you feel more glaringly inept and imperfect than parenting...but at the same time, on the good days, nothing can make you feel more like an awesome superhero than parenting :-)
ReplyDeleteSara - Right on. :)
ReplyDeleteHere's another tip - take all the lessons out of those less than perfect moments. I've often stumbled upon winners when making 'mistakes'. You never know what will turn out to work for you or your child until you try it.