What if all those years ago I had actually been successful at making non-meat gluten and TVP burgers in Relief Society?
(just so you know they are SOOO gross.)What if I was always on time?
HAHAHAHA!!!!!What if I could make wedding dresses like Maggie Sotero? It will always burn in my heart that I could not make that danged dress, although the one I could make turned out to be adorable and perfect. And the other two I've made seemed to fit the bill. After all, they are still married!
Well. I can't. And to tell you the truth, I think it's okay to be less than a Pinterest-perfect, non-TVP-burger-producing, perfectly punctual person.
So here's why I'm writing this. I do love Pinterest and Instagram and Fixer Upper and all that jazz, but you know what, I do okay. I do not style my mantel or entry perfectly. I still can't make a good non-meat burger because frankly, I do not believe yet that they exist and I'm here to tell you that a burger made of gluten and textured vegetable protein is pretty darned yucky. I'll never be a prompt punctual person because I'm too ADD to keep on task to pay attention to minutes ticking away. Regardless of the people who say 'better never late', it's not going to happen.
And I've decided to act on my wonderfully acceptable imperfections by first telling you to stop thinking that maybe you should be like all the people who get so much done every day using their totally cute planners that have every single second of every single day written down and scheduled out, including their children's lives. Not fair to them. Not at all. Talk about stress, geez. Lighten up a little!
Okay to use planners in moderation for sure, because if I don't write my appointments down I forget them, and I dislike doing things electronically because I am pretty good at ignoring random beeps which are supposed to jog my memory into jumping through a hoop or attending to an appointment. Doesn't work. I don't like being beeped at. Writing it down reinforces whatever it is into my memory. Just saying that pencil and paper not a bad idea if you don't take it over the top and over do!
I read a long time that Amish women who quilt so perfectly don't do it perfectly on purpose. They believe that nothing is perfect but God so they always make a 'mistake.' They turn a square sideways; they use the 'wrong' color in a block. It's called the Humility Block. They acknowledge, in earnest, the perfection of true Creation, and admit with humility, respect and love that their skills, while incredible , are not equal. Whether or not this sweet tradition is true or not, it rings true with me.
So, I've been thinking what if. What if I did some stuff on my Etsy shop that was normal. Not elaborate. Not super-cool. Not machine-embroidered, monogrammed, or appliqued, but just your every-day, run of the mill, mom made this at home because she loves me and thinks I'll like it kind of thing. Pretty much like I made for my family who I think liked and appreciated what they got. I'm not dying to sell a ton of stuff, but I am pretty serious about trying to help the young mothers of our age realize that they just simply don't have to fit that mold. If I can make it easier to be real, not perfect, regular, and to help kids realize as well that they can wear or play with things that do not have a LABEL, then I'd be pretty happy.
I have an Etsy shop. It doesn't sell much. I guess maybe there's a lot of competition out there and thats okay. I'll probably end up giving the dresses I've made to my grandgirls anyway, and I'd rather they get them. But sometimes, I hope that a mama is searching for something she can't make, that isn't too expensive that will make her little feel special. Or even better, maybe she'll learn to make it herself. Imperfectly. With seams that aren't always serged or encased or French-seamed. Just stitched with lots of love and hope because that's what matters so much. It doesn't have to be perfect. Or popular. Or labelled.
What if we were okay with being real? I think I might work to add the 'perfectly real' items to Etsy and see what happens. Guaranteed imperfect. Guaranteed to have love attached. If you would like something cozy and warm and not-very-fancy made for you, let me know. heads-up folks: they won't be perfect.
But hugs will be stitched in. Nothing better than that.
Love y'all.
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