The Art of Imperfection

This year we did our spring cleaning in August, which made us laugh. It just turned out that way. But, we were successful, each and every closet, drawer was gone through, and emptied, washed out, and what ever item of clothing or otherwise, was no longer used, was cleaned , folded and given away to the Salvation Army. The books were taken to our local library. It has always been my philosophy to give away what you no longer use, or have need of. Mend it, wash it and fold it and give it to another who can have good use of it. So, I was looking around my small country house, pleased with myself. Then, as was inevitable, I noticed old kitchen cabinets that looked a little bit outdated, some paint that could use refreshing, a garage screaming "Yard Sale!", and sighed, then just smiled. The thought came to me : the art of imperfection. The ability to live with things imperfect. It is an important one I believe, because things imperfect are connected to people imperfect, and we often live with these imperfect people, and they often live with our imperfections in turn. This is my home, meaning this is where my heart is, where my husband's and son's hearts are. So, if things are not quite as immaculate and organized as I would really like them to be, it is far less important than that my family feels as comfortable as I do, and that I am as tolerant of their at times infuriating stuff as they are of my campaign to eradicate it. Ah, breathe, relax, it is just stuff. But I am happy that my two guys are praising me for my hard work these last two months getting the place more efficient, more spacious and as a result more peaceful in spirit. For someone like me, who likes things clean and airy, living with two collectors and enthusiastic hobbyists leaving a path of their treasures around, electronic and otherwise, has been an exercise in patience, resourcefulness, tolerance and humor, trying to perfect the art of imperfection, in the name of home and love. However, there are a few things left on that list of cleaning up I need to remind my men of. Now, where did I put it?