How I Celebrate My Imperfect Life

The other day, Eric and I were putting Olivia to bed and, as a part of our nighttime routine, we lay on the floor to look up at a projector she has in her room. As the three of us held hands and watched stars and moons go around and around on the ceiling, I looked over at my baby’s face and her eyes were glued to the images in awe and wonder. And of course, becoming a mom has left me with little control over my emotions (tell me I’m not the only one), so my eyes filled to the brim with tears. Tears full of joy and happiness and just overwhelming love for my baby. I couldn’t help but think that THIS, this moment in time, was sheer perfection.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that most of us do not have perfect lives. GASP! There may be struggles to get your kids ready for school, finding time to put dinner on the table, managing work and home and trying to find balance. It’s hard to deal with meltdowns and picky eaters and not so good sleepers. There are financial challenges, family issues, sickness, an abyss of laundry, a never-ending to-do list, and just not enough time (or coffee, or wine) for it all.

We are all dealing with some variation of those issues. And sometimes it’s hard to see the good in a blur of sippy cups, toys, goldfish crackers, Sesame Street reruns, and crayons. Sometimes it feels like we’re just trying to get all the things done. There are days that leave us feeling frazzled, worn out, exhausted and calling our mothers in tears.

Or is that just me?

But then it occurred to me that while I do not have a perfect life, I often have perfect moments.

Moments that are just so pure and special and unique to my own little family. Moments that have left an imprint on my heart and that I know I’ll remember forever. And those are the moments I celebrate.

And I’m sure you have those moments too. Maybe it’s the special way your son or daughter hugs you before leaving for school, the way they fall asleep on your shoulder at night, or their laughter. Whenever I have a perfect moment, I savor it, remember it and hold it close to my heart. Because my life is never going to be perfect, but I will have perfect moments.