GOOD ENOUGH

I didn’t write last week but suffice it to say I have had a whirlwind couple of weeks. I was sitting here yesterday and was truly sooo Tired that I thought I may puke. This has happened to me twice in one week and is actually unusual for me. I began thinking about how my attitude has changed over the years in regards to work - at home, in the yard, in my job, friendships and church.
While I was growing up my mom was absolutely the ULTIMATE almost OCD worker. She could clean a house like no one I have or will ever meet in my life. I learned the correct way to do things and for the most part I followed this as I got older (not to the extent she did) but I did follow it. I would actually set aside 6-8 hours for cleaning and when Shar was a baby my carpet had to be vacuumed EVERY SINGLE Day... Then I had more work hours and a little girl to play with and I had to let that habit slide a bit – just a little bit though. And I would still set aside an allotted amount of time and I even had a job that allowed me to work 9-10 hour days and leave early on Fridays so for years my Fridays were spent specifically cleaning. So I had Fridays and then every day I had to do a run through wipe things down with Windex, pick things up, sweep , straighten .
About 7 years ago my parents both had health issues that required quite a bit of outside help from the family and I took on some of my mom’s housework. This was the OCD woman by the way. And I would be over there cleaning and she would say “OH that is Good Enough”…… Wait .. What the hell??? Good Enough... since when... really??? But she meant it. She said “That is good enough, let’s just talk.” So I would finish up and we did talk..
Now my responsibilities have basically doubled and I have truly mastered the art of Good Enough. I will change the sheets every other week now at home and at my dad’s. I weed eat the yard the same way. I do clean every week but I spend maybe 2 hours cleaning at dad’s and maybe 3 at mine unless I have an extra chance. There simply are not enough hours in a week to cover the old way and I have found that it is ok. My floors are mopped and the vacuumed and I don’t bathe in a dirty tub. Life will go on if I don’t have prize winning sparkle. Things are good enough.
I think that this concept should also follow through for us in acceptance of people. So they are not the cleanest, smartest, sweetest or easiest to take. They are Good enough.... We are not always aesthetically pleasing to everyone either!!! What makes us think that our standard is any better than theirs? That our personality type is the top shelf? Who on the earth ever told us it was ok to choose how someone else should behave?
I feel we should all try to master this art of good enough. In our lives, our work, dealing with people and in love. While I still also believe we should strive to be the best we can...we have limits and so do the people around us. If we can calmly accept and care for people and truly believe in “GOOD ENOUGH” we will find more time to “just talk” remember our friends, be more patient with those we love and maybe, just maybe, stop expecting everyone and everything in our lives to go as we think they should. We will be Good Enough and if we are Good Enough then so are they...
After All if Heavenly Father thinks they are Good Enough .. Who are we to decide otherwise?
I am going to try.