Letting go of Perfect

We ended 2012 by remembering my Grandma. It was not the way I anticipated reflecting on the year but with her dying on Christmas Day, it was what needed to be done. I was thankful to be able to share my memories about Grandma at her funeral today.

I wanted to share thoughts from the viewpoint of my childhood verses the marred reality of adulthood memories that seem to counteract. While it was difficult to find time to reflect on my Grandma’s life over the hustle and bustle of the holiday, I am so grateful God helped me to do just that. (You can read what I shared about my Grandma here and here.) While she was far from perfect, she loved us well. I can only hope and pray my children and grandchildren will be able to say the same about me.

In 2013, I have the privilege of helping launchJill Savage's (Hearts at Home) new book, No More Perfect Moms. With the busyness of life the past couple of weeks, I haven’t been able to read past Chapter 1. At the same time, because I’m giving up the masquerade of perfection, I didn’t have to feel any pressure to do more. All I can do is take things one day at a time; one moment at a time.

My house is a disaster. Christmas presents remain unpacked. Returns wait to be made. Decorations still deck our halls. I haven’t exercised in over two weeks. We can barely walk in the girls’ room. Clean laundry is piled all over my bed yet to be put away. Dirthy clothes overflow from hampers for the washer and dryer to run. Dishes are all over the counter. Dog hair is in noticeable clumps on the flour. Bleach sits on my bathroom beckoning me to disinfect. This is the reality of our life.

Another reality is that I spent time with family over the past few days. Our Post-Christmas-Pre-funeral-arrangement calendar was filled with fun for my children. When my daughter asked me to color a picture, I got down on the floor and did so. (This is a huge thing!) We are spending time with friends tonight to ring in the New Year and my house will look the same tomorrow.

I’ve given up on perfect. It won’t be the cleanliness of my home my children and grandchildren will talk about at my funeral. When I stand before God, I highly doubt He is going to be listing off the times I neglected to wash my kitchen floor. (Thank God!) My Grandmother’s life and death were an example of giving the gift of love. This is what I’m called to. This is what matters. In 2013, I’m going to do a better job of letting go of perfect in order to embrace authentic. Will you join me?

1.      Sign up for the free No More Perfect Moms email challenge that begins tomorrow! You'll be sent one short email a day to encourage you!

2.      WAIT until the week of Feb 4-9 to order the book. Why? This will concentrate as many sales as possible during this limited time period in an effort to get the book on the New York Times best sellers list. When a book is on the best sellers list, it reaches more people. If you’ll wait, you can actually help give the book visibility which will help reach more moms! THERE’S A PERK: If you order or purchase the book during the week of Feb 4-9, you will receive free bonuses! Jill will announce what these bonuses are on Feb 4, on her blog and the book website. The perks will include e-books, audio workshops, and more!

3.      Sign up for the Hearts at Home National Conference coming on March 15-16. The theme is No More Perfect Moms. I am so very excited that Candace Cameron Bure is one of the keynote speakers! (Remember DJ from Full House?)