Chipped Stones

This morning sitting in front of the fireplace in my old family home in Michigan, this particular poem settled on the page. I found myself wondering why is there a broken stone in my face? and how interesting that the color on the broken part is different than the color on the surface. That awareness set me to thinking about the wisdom of Brene Brown's Ted Talk on vulnerability. It is good to be reminded that it is our imperfections not our efforts to be perfect that allow us to connect with one another. There is beauty in the imperfection that seems to be one of nature's lessons.

Chipped Stones

There are always
Chipped stones--
Split rocks--
Our fireplace has two--
Why did he
Fit them on the face--
In our face--
Broken and imperfect--
Partial?
Because it's true--
Always a stone can break,
Even a stone,
And show us inner hue,
A beauty not evident
Upon the face--
Not known until it breaks.
     Judy Brown
     June 16, 2016

Journaling 

Think of a time when you felt you were less than perfect and being honest about that opened up new possibilities for you.

Where in nature do you find lessons of the beauty of the "imperfection"?

On days when you are caught in your own need to be seen as perfect, what are ways you can free yourself?