Masterpieces in the Broken Pieces.

We are all so different. The beauty of this world lies in its diversity. The color, the shapes, the lines, the smells, the tastes, the sounds, the textures, in all their uniqueness make the world- balanced. Complete. The thoughts, the feelings, the ideas, the emotions, make the world function, make it whole. 

We can't live without our differences. To be unique is beautiful. 

So why do we keep trying to fit into boxes? Why do we try so hard to look a certain way, to think a certain way, to be a certain way. We try so hard to be the "ideal". The ideal manager, the ideal student, the ideal parent, the ideal co-worker, the ideal family member. What really is ideal? Is ideal just an idea? I don't believe that the "ideal" of today is possible. Ideal is perfect, faultless, superior, flawless, supreme, examplary, ultimate. This is unattainable. Especially because people's ideas of "perfection" vary. Why do we keep trying to fit in this box of ideals when it is nonexistent and impossible? 

Ever since we were babies we were taught the difference between right and wrong, but as we got older we started blurring our vision and forgetting those simple truths. People started confusing right things with wrong things and wrong things with right things. It's like in that song "Counting Stars" when he said "And I-I-I-I feel something so right for doing the wrong thing." 

Basic values are being forgotten. And something wrong becomes disguised as something right. It's so scary! It honestly freaks me out. People seem to blindly be groping their way in the dark to this non-existent box of ideals. What can we do? Well, first we can stop groping in the dark, and start accepting. Accept the diversity, accept the personality, accept the unusual, accept yourself. Turn on the lights. Look around. We are all unusual, because there is no such thing as a "usual" human being. 

I'd like to tell you the story of the "Hoped for Roses" (This is based in a true story :) )

A few days ago I was in art class and as I was walking over to the closet to grab an easel, I saw a little lady looking at one of her paintings in progress. It was a lovely painting of some pink flowers in a lavender colored vase. 

"Did you paint that?" I asked.

"Yes..." She said. 

"It's beautiful!" I said.

 She replied; "Oh I was just thinking that I need to redo it." 

"No, I like it!" I said.

Later on, that lady loaded her brush with some grey-ish paint and totally painted right over her whole painting. When the other people in he class had found out what she had done, they were very concerned.

 "Why did you do that? It was so pretty! Oh no! Well, I guess it's your choice, but I thought it was fine!"

"I wanted roses, and the flowers just didn't look like roses." The lady replied.

When the art teacher had found out what she had done she said:

"Now, you are going to wipe that grey paint right off."

"What? You can do that?"

"Yes, since your painting underneath was dry, the wet paint can be washed off and your original painting will still be there. You must always keep every painting, because you can learn from every one and choose to gain wisdom from everything even if you don't like it."

"I don't know... Maybe I'm just not meant to paint... Maybe it's time for me to move on to different things."

"No!" The class protested. "Anyone can paint! Every artist has work that they dislike! And that's part of the learning process."

So, the lady somewhat reluctantly wiped of the paint, and the other ladies sighed with relief.

"It really is a beautiful painting." They said. 

"Well, thanks for all the encouragement." She replied. "I guess I'll just keep trying."

"Yay!" We all cheered.

The reason I tell this story is because sometimes we are just like the lady who wanted her flowers to look like roses. Often we only see our differences as flaws. We want a certain thing, but we just can't seem to fit that mold. Often we don't realize how wonderful we already are. Sometimes we just cover ourselves up with a bunch of "grey paint". When really, we don't realize the true magnificence of what is underneath. 

What we need is the courage to wipe off that grey paint and let our vulnerability shine through. Our humanity is beautiful and that's what makes us able to learn. Those mess ups, or what we see as failures are really just another step towards success. When we learn to accept those imperfections and differences, we can come to realize how our uniqueness plays a huge role in the beautiful diversity of the world.

A pot is made up of a lump of clay. A house is made up of broken trees. A a quilt is made up of bits of thread. A painting is made up of globs of paint. We are all made up of humble beginnings, learning experiences, and imperfections. But we are masterpieces.

In one way are we all the same, and that is that we're all different.