“Imperfection is the prerequisite for grace. Light only gets in through the cracks.“

Philip Yancey.

I used to get upset when something in my house would get ruined. Seeing furniture scratched was my biggest pet peeve. I wanted my house to be immaculate. I guess throughout the years, experiencing life and especially after having kids, I realised that it was practically impossible. I learnt that it was actually a blessing not to have a perfect house. Every scratch, every dent, every crack holds a memory. A memory that makes me smile. It’s the imperfections that turn a house into a home.

Now more than ever, I know that an imperfection does not mean something is broken. Because if it does, then that means I am forever broken. That is all I see when I look at myself in the mirror, imperfections. A big scar, a small scar, a long scar, an ugly scar, a not so bad scar. Just lots and lots of scars. If imperfections make a house a home, then surely my scars make me more unique. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without these scars, I actually wouldn’t be here today without these scars. They saved my life. They tell my story, a story I wouldn’t have chosen myself but it’s still my story. Now I have a choice though. A choice to continue the story as a sad one, or to turn things around and make it a happy one.

I won’t lie and say I am empowered when I look at my scars. I still cringe most days looking at myself in the mirror, I turn my head away quickly. Maybe if I don’t see it, it will just go away. But it never does. The sooner I can get myself to love what I see in the mirror, the happier I will be. It takes time, but I will get there. In the meantime, I allow myself to look away when I just don’t have the energy to deal with it all, cry my eyes out when I can’t believe what is now the “new me”, and be happy on the days I realise that these scars are the reason I get to still be here with my family.

If we can still love our belongings that are a little worn down, and appreciate others despite their flaws, then surely we are capable of loving ourselves even with our imperfections, whatever they may be. We need to constantly remind ourselves that we are imperfectly perfect and that these imperfections make us unique. To live an authentic life full of happiness, we need to learn to embrace our imperfections and not hide them away.