Day 35 - flaws

I have a tendency to beat myself up over my shortcomings. After a conversation with good friend of mine tonight and in an effort to really grab hold of these flaws, I've decided to dedicate a post to them. Why should I be thankful for the flaws that I have? Well, I've always found myself drawn to things that were imperfect or worn: old dilapidated buildings, dirty sketching paper with coffee stains on it, ratty old clothes, just to name a few off the top of my head. Now, how can this relate to why I should love and be thankful for my flaws? Well, the reason I think these things are beautiful is because they're real. Polishing over the imperfections would only take away from their story, the experiences they've had; the process. The full picture is what makes them beautiful. The little scratches amongst the fine tuned details in an old building or the way a sketch is still clear amongst the tears and stains on a paper. The reason we have flaws is not because we're imperfect, it's because we're whole. A pristine image is obviously beautiful, but at the same time, it lacks that level of humility, experience and grounding - and in my mind, substance. Because at that point, it's just a beautiful image. And the more I think about it, the more I'd rather not be spotless. The fact that we're all still beautiful amongst our flaws is what makes us human.