Amanda at Soule Mama and Jessica at Kerflop are each doing a photo project designed to capture and document the ordinary and simple aspects of their lives in a month of photos.
See Soul Mama’s here and Kerflop’s here.
I thought this would be a fantastic way to celebrate all that is ordinary in our lives, for it is in the simple everyday parts of family life that magic happens, but only for those willing to look. These are the moments worth remembering.
Abby has OCD. (I am trying to consider it as Obsessive Compulsive Delightful.)
One of her obsessions is the need to be perfect. Even as a two year old, she would not want to color in her coloring books. Her coloring skills were not developed enough for her taste. (She was two, for crying out loud!) Instead, she always asked her dad or I to do it so it looked “right.” In many areas of her life she will choose to not participate in something if she thinks won’t be able to do it perfectly. As her mother, it’s hard to see her get so frustrated with herself.
She has been taking piano lessons for about a year. In a good week, Abby will practice every night with me beside her on the bench. Our piano is old, and it shows; the date stamp on the back says 1897. Its keys are chipped and worn from years of playing. A family in our church had it sitting in their shed for years thinking “maybe someday” they’d get it in working order. When I heard they were giving it away, I jumped at the chance to have it.
Abby has always had an interest in music and was so excited when the old piano was delivered. It needed a good dusting, some Howard’s Restore a Finish, a tune-up and some repairs, and a little girl willing to overlook it’s obvious signs of wear.
One of the great things about the old piano is that because it has has been around the block, it’s friendly and patient. Much more so than a shiny new instrument. It holds a tune good enough for a beginner who doesn’t always hit the right notes anyway. And more importantly than helping her develop her musical interest, piano lessons are a way for her to practice making mistakes. She’s learning that it’s okay to mess up. That you can’t create something wonderful without hitting a lot of wrong notes along the way.
This old piano is teaching her that imperfection can still be beautiful. It’s a lesson I often need myself.
How do you deal with perfectionism?
