Imperfectly Perfect

As we are about to embark on Thanksgiving and Christmas, I have been thinking about what makes the holidays so magical. People spend a lot of time, energy and money trying to achieve the "perfect" holiday. We work hard to buy the "perfect" gift for someone we love. We spend countless hours preparing the "perfect" meal. We run around attending or hosting the "perfect" party that will, hopefully, be talked about for months to come. I am here to report to you, the point of all of it isn't perfection at all! This is a hard statement from a person who considers herself a die hard perfectionist.
When asked about their fondest holiday memories, people don't recall the matching paper on all the presents under the tree. They remember the year the tree fell over! They don't recall the year the meal was perfect and the table looked like a Norman Rockwell painting. They recall the year that the sweet potatoes were over laden with chipotle peppers and no one could eat more than one bite! The don't remember the darling family Christmas cards you pain stakingly made and sent out to 100+ friends each year. They recall the year they had to hold lit candles in the photo and almost set some one's hair on fire!
Truth be told, the point of the holidays is not perfection at all. Food gets eaten, cards get tossed in the trash and presents, once desired, become too small or outdated. All these are fleeting joys at best. Lasting joys are the magical, imperfect moments that stay with us in our memory long after the day itself. Recalling these moments, with a smile on our face, is perfection!
I am grateful for imperfect holidays.