I am not perfect—actually, I am far from it. I make mistakes every day. I say the wrong things. I do what I’m not supposed to do. I don’t do what I am supposed to do. I disappoint people. I hurt people. I aggravate people. Should I go on with my list of shortcomings or are you getting the gist? Ok, good.

Look, being human is complicated, so very complicated. Everything I just stated about me is true, but it should be true about you as well. We don’t intentionally set out to make mistakes, but we do. We don’t want to hurt people, but we do. We have no idea of what other people are expecting of us and vice versa. It’s complicated. Maybe you’re mad at someone right now, or they’re mad at you, simply because you aren’t perfect and neither are they. But some how we unrealistically expected them to be and they us.

So today, in light of all of my imperfections, I’m going to turn to one word: Grace. By definition it is the unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration. Every day I give my best and I know you do, too, but we’re human—imperfectly human. Today I will begin extending grace to others while also offering it to myself. Life is too short. I’m not perfect, but that’s ok. I’m giving it my best shot and when I miss—there’s grace. Peace.

With Gratitude,

Beth