Wabi Sabi. What a fun word to say! It is actually Japanese and has to do with the beauty of imperfection. Now to some perfection is a non-issue, however if you are like me perfection has always played some role in your life. Even in elementary school it bothered me to have to write on a piece of wrinkled notebook paper that some class monitor had haphazardly passed out to me. As a classroom teacher I could never quite wrap my brain around the kid who turned in messy work that didn't bother him in the least. But, this quest for perfection is impossible and ultimately leads to disappointment. That's why I was so excited to happen upon wabi sabi. Here was an entire movement around embracing the imperfections of the world. Rather than looking at something slightly marred as less than, it could be held up as weathered, unique and special. I have always been drawn toward objects that are not mass produced. I'd much rather have an original piece of pottery in my home than something from the local department store. I now keep wabi sabi in mind when I notice the natural wear and tear of life. In fact I'm even using a little wabi sabi when I look in the mirror. How about you?
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