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The Picture Perfect Yard

 I was switching laundry over in the laundry room and happened to look over at the footage of our security cameras (mounted on the roof of the house), and I noticed how absolutely beautiful my front yard looks right now. The grass is a beautiful dark green and looks full and nicely trimmed. The palm trees are tall and trimmed. It looks absolutely picture perfect.

I found this amusing because I know when I'm outside and looking at my front yard that it is not perfect AT ALL. The grass is growing unevenly. There are bare spots. The palm trees are just about ready to be trimmed again. And there is a giant dead tree that needs to be cut down because large branches keep falling off.

Then, I thought how much we are like my yard. At a distance, we might look pretty picture perfect to others, but if we really get up close and personal with each other, we begin to see each other's imperfections and areas that need work. And if we really truly get to know one another, we get glimpses of the backyard or parts of our lives that are more private and may be even more imperfect.

But the funny thing about my yard is that my children don't care how imperfect it is or how much work needs to be done in it. They just want to be in it, playing and having fun. And they want their friends to be there with them. Maybe they notice the imperfections and maybe they don't, but they don't focus on them. They just see a safe place to explore and learn and enjoy.

Maybe we should be a little more like children and try to just enjoy our own lives more. Be aware of the imperfections and be willing to improve, trim, and cut down when and where needed, but love it and what it has to offer. And in turn, love others and their lives. Whether you think they look picture perfect or they look a little (or even a lot) overgrown and rough around the edges, try to find the joy that their lives can bring you and the joy that you can bring them. Less judgement and comparison, and more love for one another.


--I wrote this in April 2020.

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