In Search of Perfection

I visited the gorgeous garden of a friend last week. While I enviously admired her work she spent most of the time telling me what was wrong with it and what she planned to change this summer. I have to admit to doing the very same thing many times while showing someone my own garden.

My husband and I worked in the yard yesterday and even though it is 200% better than it was last year, he is agonizing over the weeds in the lawn. We live in the middle of a pasture and we are essentially just mowing “pasture”, but he wants a beautiful lawn. It’s the Californian in him. J

My oldest daughter is a fanatic about her yard (wonder where she gets that?) and is now in “worry mode” because we are going to be at her house for our vacation in June. I’m sure she will work herself into a frenzy getting everything ready.

We photograph the “yard of the month” and I have yet to visit one of them without hearing “Well, I’m not sure why you chose us, there is so much I need to do around here…” or some version thereof.

Gary and I worked on the wildflower bed last night and I found myself admiring it and yet thinking, “I hope there are more daisies next year…”

That‘s how we think, constantly. It’s like a script that won’t end. “If only…then it would be better.” “If I did this, then it would be perfect. Then I would be happier.” We are always trying to reach “perfection”, not only in the garden, but in other aspects of our lives. I sometimes wonder if we ever really appreciate what we have, here and now, and give ourselves credit for what we have accomplished. I suppose we need to strive to do better, be better. We need motivation to go on and accomplish the next thing. But do we have to sacrifice the here and now to do that? Must we always belittle what is in front of us? The Bible admonishes us not to be proud and boastful, but I don’t remember reading that we should be ashamed of a job well-done.

So give yourself a pat on the back today. I’m sure you deserve it.

 

 

Comments

[Megan]

Great post and so true. So Karen is an avid gardener? And she's sprucing up to have you visit? What a compliment! She must be excited for you to walk around and visit with her.

Gardening is a stewardship to me. I try to help my little plants be happy and healthy. The Lord made them, I try not to kill them! : )