The gift of imperfection

Some of us are "blessed" with a need to reach perfection. I expect that many of us seek to please and strive to achieve given the focus in many houses (and generations) on praise and reaching perfection. Yet there is incredible power in embracing imperfection: the fact that we do the best we can as parents, as children, as siblings, as partners...as people...and sometimes we fall short. It's the nature of being human. It's the essence of being vulnerable.
I am in a constant conversation with myself when I catch myself naturally berating myself for being an impatient, intolerant, imperfect parent.  I know that it is "not their fault" and that they would flourish more so with a parent who was more patient, understanding and...well.. perfect!
And yet I wholeheartedly see that my boys know the nature of "sorry" in a way that they wouldn't, were I never to make mistakes. They know that we sometimes let moods overcome us, we sometimes snap in grumpiness when we otherwise wouldn't, and often times, we must face our own actions and put energy into repairing our relationships that have suffered. I read once that young children do not truly know the meaning of 'sorry'...yet the experience of our household suggests otherwise to me. My eldest volunteers empathetic apologies at the most beautiful and unexpected of moments...
and for this, I credit not just the art of apology, but also the gift of imperfection.