Lesson From Mowing the Lawn: Tolerating Imperfection
My favorite oldest son graduated from college on Sunday and moved home while he looks for a paid job. It is wonderful to have him home! I asked him to mow the backyard. After telling me why lawns are bad for the environment (yes, I know and plans are being considered for alternatives...) he reluctantly mowed the grass. Imperfectly. I had the urge to fix it. I resisted the urge. I wondered if I should ask him to fix it. I resisted the urge. I took a picture of the lawn and thought "this will be funny someday..." It reminded me how difficult it can be to tolerate imperfection and importance of sitting with my uncomfortable feelings. After a few days, the imperfect lawn really did not bother me...as much. My relationship with my son is WAY more important than a perfectly mowed lawn! What can you let go of to make space for more important things in your life? (By the way, I do not ever mow the lawn perfectly either. )