Saturday, July 16, 2011

Perfection


Perfection-Websters defines perfection as the freedom from fault or defect. A very high goal to achieve if it is truly possible. We all have tried to be perfect at least once in our lives, whether we achieved that goal or not is unknown.
As a new wife I wanted everything to be perfect that first Thanksgiving, since we were hosting both families. Guess what, it was wonderful, but not perfect. When we moved into a new home and had our first child, I was still trying for perfection, at least where the house was concerned. I knew I was doing the best I could raising our son, but of course my mother said I was to lenient and his mother said I was to hard, in the end I hope we hit a happy medium. Both our son and daughter seem to be well adjusted outstanding young people. Other than our two families, every one else thought our children were wonderful.
Perfection creeps into all our lives. I strove to be Martha Stewart until I realized I was much happier being just me, plus I didn’t have the staff or the time she does. I have a husband and children to fill my life. I still like her, but don’t want to be her.
When I first started knitting I did not strive for perfection. I just wanted to learn how and each mistake had a lesson. Now I will unknit or frog a project but only if the mistake is glaring. If only I know it is there, I look at this as making the piece unique and all mine. I have also learned to do this in the rest of my life. At the moment we are replacing the decking on our front porch and the railing. My husband was getting a little frustrated until I told him, nothing is perfect in life, just like those decking boards aren’t perfect. He still strove for the perfect spacing and the straightest edge, but also commented that we woul have to live with some of the spacing, because it was the best he could do. That is all any of us can try for.
So next time you are knitting that sweater and you make a mistake, ask yourself, will anyone know it is there, if they will, correct it. If not, it makes this sweater uniquetly yours.