Mediocrity Keeps Me Sane

A few years back I wrote a blog post that was picked up by another website. Basically it discussed the perils of perfectionism, but after the submission was approved they asked that I change the title. Apparently "Mediocrity, Let's Celebrate" was not quite the vibe they had in mind.

Interesting isn't it--this concept of mediocrity being unacceptable? We live in a world of social media that seems to put the best foot (body/house/wardrobe) forward and more often than not, overlooks the mundane. If you've been following my blog for very long I think it's pretty clear that I do, in fact, celebrate mediocrity. I'm convinced the older I get, that this societal quest for achievement, excellence and perfection is actually contributing to the rise in anxiety and depression.

Is it wrong to be good at something? Of course not! I'm pretty decent at some things: planning events, fundraising, and building connections through relationships. I believe the Lord has blessed me with those talents and it would be a shame to not develop them. But if all I ever did was post about how much money I raised, or how successful an event was or the fun people I get to hang with, you'd get a pretty narrow view of what my life is like. The truth is I'm pretty average, and often downright terrible at any number of things.

So just for fun, here's a few:

1. COOKING: ok--no big surprise here. It's common knowledge that we consume a large amount of bean and cheese burritos, Costa Vida, and Wendys. I could change this if I tried a little harder. I just don't want to.

2. PICKING GIFTS: I'm a terrible gift giver. Like, really bad. When people ask me my kid's favorite candy/color/movie/whatever I never know. Being observant is not my strong suit and this makes finding the perfect gift pretty near impossible. I wish I was better and if I put my mind to it, I could probably remedy this situation.  Probably..

3. TRADITIONS:  You know those families that have super cool holiday traditions?  Yeah--we don't. One time the missionaries asked us what fun traditions we had for conference weekend and the kids thought for a loooong time and the only thing they came up with was "well, sometimes if Mom remembers we get Costco muffins."

4. PICKING PAINT COLORS (or any other decorating adventure): One need only to see my recent minor freak out when I came home and saw my newly painted blue house. I was so concerned about it that I called Dave who calmly said, "If you don't like it we'll just pay to have it repainted." That there, is true love people. And then, as I'm standing in front of the house watching as the worker is about to paint my door yellow I had another minor freak out which brought the painting to a halt as I expressed fear that we were going to look like over zealous sports team fans, what with the blue house and bright yellow door. Thank heavens that Carlos had the where with all to tell me "It's ok Miss. We paint the house yellow today. You don't like it, we paint it white tomorrow."  God bless that Carlos.

So there it is--4 things I really sort of stink at. And you know what? I'm ok with it. It makes me, well...me. When we figure out that we don't have to be perfect at everything, or even most things, then we learn to accept and love ourselves for all that we are. Is Carlos telling his family about the crazy lady that he worked for the other day? Probably.  Do my children return a good number of the gifts I get them? Pretty much. Does the staff at Costa Vida know my order by heart? Most definitely. Do I mind? You know...not really.

Mediocrity:  Let's Celebrate!

When Dreams Come True

I'm sitting here on the eve of my 46th birthday reflecting on life and thinking, "how did I get here?" To be quite frank, it doesn't seem that long ago that I was hopping into my Guess jeans, pulling hot rollers out of my hair, jetting to school in my Chevette and making plans for the high school prom.

But it was that long ago--30 years to be exact.

My sweet daughter in law, Tessa recently wrote a blog post that really spoke to me. In it she talks about a phrase an older friend uttered to her that made her think. It's got me thinking too.

He said, "Every dream I ever had came true."

It is easy in life to get caught up in all the things that are going "wrong." Wayward children, tight finances, disappointment, stress and worry. I have this bad habit of spending too much time focusing on a problem and not enough time taking a step back to gain perspective. (Thank heavens I have Dave. He's great at talking me off the proverbial ledge). But as I pondered that phrase I realized, all my dreams HAVE come true--the dreams the Lord has for me. You see, quite frankly, He knows what I need best.

He knew that even though it can be awfully challenging raising six kids, that buried somewhere within me is the skill set to do it. Not perfectly and often pretty messily, but I've got it. And it's growing and stretching me in all sorts of uncomfortable (yet amazing) ways.

He knew that my perfect match was a 6 foot tall, Disney loving, scripture quoting, hilarious and devoted man. Has it always been easy? No way--but it's always been right. In fact it's because it's not always easy that it makes it right.

He knew that even though I was a shy, scared of my own shadow, type of child  by putting me in uncomfortable situations I would stretch and grow and learn to love speaking and writing and just chatting up people. That it would lead to amazing opportunities, hidden talents, and surprising friendships.

If you had asked me 30 years ago what I wanted out of life, it would be pretty close to where I am now. Did I see the path that would get me here? No. I wouldn't have chosen some of the trials, the sorrows, the guilt, the hardships. But 30 years ago I didn't know that it would be because of the trials, the sorrows, the guilt, the hardships that all my dreams would come true.

And they have. They really have.

Photo by Fineas Gavre on Unsplash