Learning As I Go (1 Year Old)

Was it really that obvious?! I gave you absolutely NO hints! I guess if I'm going to do more contests during my 2nd year of blogging, I'll have to learn how to be a bit more mysterious!

Sandy is the winner! Sandy and I met several years ago during Partners in Policymaking -- she is a huge part of the program in South Dakota and is a wonderful advocate for individuals with disabilities! My prize for this contest is a copy of Gifts 2, and honestly, I couldn't think of a better person to receive this! Sandy, this book is on its way to you! Enjoy! (And don't forget to read about a little girl named Rylee on page 109!)

So, one year ago yesterday, I posted my first entry on Learning As I Go. I had wonderful intentions of blogging about many of the things I've learned this last year... a perfect post to mark the occasion; something creative and meaningful and relatable; maybe toss in some of my favorite pictures from the year. Something I could do every year on my "blog anniversary."

I had lots of "what I've learned" ideas this last week... some came to mind while making supper or driving to town; some while getting the kids in their jammies; some are captured on post-it notes on the kitchen counter or on my nightstand; some were thought of and forgotten before I could even jot them down.

It had to be a great post. Creative. Meaningful. Relatable. Fun pictures.

Posted on January 12, 2010.

It would be perfect.

*sigh*

It didn't happen.

Somewhere between Carter's swimming lessons, making supper, helping kids write on Valentines, doing laundry, working on designing a website for our Down syndrome association, eating too many M&Ms, and sleeping, the post slipped through the cracks of my to-do list.

So, I come to write my post now with nothing but random thoughts. Nothing too creative. Nothing very meaningful. And definitely nothing relatable since the thoughts are so random no one would ever quite understand what I was talking about. And not on January 12, 2010.

Not what I had in mind. Not perfect.

Immediately, I feel bummed. I didn't do what I wanted to do. I didn't capture the thoughts I wanted to capture. And now, my thoughts have drifted away.

Then, I go back to my first post, and I realize the irony in all of it. I had somewhat forgotten what my first post even said.

"Perfectly imperfect."

I began my blog that way.

If I hadn't decided that "perfectly imperfect" was okay... I may not have even started my blog a year and a day ago. (And I can't even begin to think about all I would've missed out on without my blog this past year... the memories I've captured, the blog friends I've made, the other friends I've connected with.)

For those of you out there who struggle with "perfectly imperfect," maybe this will be meaningful and relatable to you. For those of you who are perfectly fine - even happy - with "perfectly imperfect," then I actually have a lot to learn from you.

I know that every day I learn something new -- who I am today isn't who I was yesterday. My blog is an ongoing display of that.

Maybe my biggest lesson this year is that perfectly imperfect is, well... perfect.

I didn't write the post I wanted to write on my 1 year "blog anniversary."

Instead, I wrote this.

It's perfectly imperfect.

And I'm learning to be okay with that.