A perfectly square, glass container sits empty on the dining table.  It begs to be filled with something… a candle or flowers maybe?  Even though I know bougainvillea don’t qualify as flowers or blooms, I decide an arrangement of these would be an improvement. How fortunate that they are plentiful right outside my door!

Clippers in hand, I walk out ready to snip.  Upon looking them over, however, I realize the recent coldish temps have taken their toll on my fuchsia-colored friends.  The more I look, the greater my doubts grow about gathering enough pretty ‘flowers’ to make my arrangement.  I find myself rummaging deeper into the bush in hopes of finding some that have been sheltered enough to maintain their vibrancy.

As I examine the few bunches I’ve already clipped, I realize that among all of them, none is perfect.  Each bunch has one or two flowers that are marred in some way.  I’m about to give up hope when it dawns on me that I’m letting the search for perfection overshadow the joy of what is.  What if, instead, I incorporate the imperfect with the perfect.  How would they look coexisting in the square glass container on my table?  Hmm…

I couldn’t help but take the short leap from the arrangement to my life…. How often do I get frustrated with the illusive “perfection” not just in myself but in life in general?  

How often do I think “Oh, “It” __(insert any number of situations here)__ would be perfect if it wasn’t for____(fill in the blank)____!”  What if life isn’t meant to be perfect??  What if these situations are in my life in order to equip me with skills and knowledge that will serve me down the road?  What if, instead of resisting them, I embrace them, take them in stride and incorporate them into my life?!

These thoughts run through my head as I carry my clippings into the house.  I must confess that I still choose to remove the wilted, browning, blossoms but I do incorporate the “less-than-perfect-looking” ones among the more vibrant.   Each contributes its individual hue and texture toward making the final arrangement quite attractive.  

My private hope is that each time my eyes fall on it, I am reminded to relinquish the pursuit of perfection in favor of embracing what is…knowing that what is is exactly as it should be…  

~Zanne

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