My Year Of Living Imperfectly

January is like opening day in baseball -we can all go to the World Series. We start with a “clean slate.”  In reality, we bring all our baggage into each new year.  With the wisdom of age I’ve accepted that of course, I have baggage- but it’s cute and it matches.

 “There is a tale of an elderly Chinese woman who had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole.  One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water; while the cracked pot arrived only half full.

The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection. After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, one day it spoke to the woman, 'I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.'

The old woman smiled, 'Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?' 'That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.' 'For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.'

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that makes is who we are.”

Shame drives “never good enough” and keeps us from connection which is why we’re here. We can’t appear vulnerable so we can’t be authentic - we cover our flaws instead of embracing them.  According to Brené Brown, PhD, a leading researcher on shame we need the courage to be imperfect.  With age we can make fools of ourselves and do it with enthusiasm - we’ve done it so many times by now.

 I’m reminded of the chorus of Leonard Cohen’s poem “Anthem”

                   Ring the bells that still can ring

                   Forget your perfect offering

                   There is a crack, a crack, in everything

                    That's how the light gets in 

So, to my crackpot friends, have a happy new year and remember to notice the “flowers on your side of the path!”



Comments

[sima]

Thank you--I needed that more than you know.

[Tracey Jackson]

As always you nail it Judy. You give us license to be ourselves, cracks and all. Thank you.

[Harriet Cabelly]

I love that story. Thank you for reminding us to forgive and even embrace our imperfections. They too can light our path.
Middle age brings us the gift of not worrying what others think and therefore living our authentic selves.

[anne marie whalley]

cracks are part of life.
when we recognize them so we can adapt.
When I tell one of my grand child that Grand Ma is old she answers:"old people die". She reminds me of the gratitude I have for life trying to stay a positive person. May be because our Mom had no pots for her garden but it was colorful, and as a widow she never let us show how difficult her life was. I am the opposite. I want to open my inner and outer voice to others and share cracked pots. There is a reason for imperfection. so much to learn from it: happiness, beauty, philosophy, joy. Thank you for the story

[wpyoof wpyoof]

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