Imperfectly Perfect

While rushing through my regular weekly household chores today afternoon after the kids were back from school, the sound levels were at an all time high. Both the kids were screaming at the top of their lungs to summon Alexa to play their favorite songs ( a wide contrast between Mother Goose Club and Lenka). When the cacophony became unbearable, I finally stepped in and re-claimed the device. With no further choice, the kids moved on their own activities (again ranging from throwing everything from the counter-top to coloring for a school project).

I randomly asked Alexa to play any station and after some time pleasantly heard a song I have not listened to in ages. With Jackie DeShannon singing- What the world needs now, it bought my chain of thoughts to how quickly the month of February had gone by. The much anticipated, much awaited month of ‘Valentines-love’ kind of month. The sweetest, shortest month that has finally brought around some beautiful weather here in Texas.

I first heard this song when my mother sang it once, and then next on the only radio station that would play old English songs in India. Such beautiful times and such precious memories. I sometimes feel lucky that I have such crystal clear memories of those wonderful times.

Working in the kitchen, listening to this wonderful song while over-seeing the once again bantering children, I truly felt that this is it. This is love. While love is ever-constant, its perception has changed.

A few decades ago- it only meant the never-ending single-focussed attention, of beautiful blooming red flowers and fancy gifts (some of this still matters!), of holding hands and saying the nicest things ever. A few years later, however, it is simple moments like this that explain.

While walking in the backyard, joyfully looking at the first spring leaves on the barren peach tree- this is love. While putting the kid’s toys away once they are off to school and remembering them with a smile- this is love. While baking a cake for a child, who has never had one before, and then looking at their sweetest smiling photographs later- this feels like love. And smiling after a random phone-call from a long lost friend in the middle of the day- this is love. And remembering my mother singing this song- I felt it too. So many such simple heart-warming moments. So much love.

When I was in high school- the definition of love was perfect- with no greys or blacks. Today, nothing feels perfect. Yet, I am thinking of love in the middle of this chaos. I guess life does teach us that nothing is perfect- only imperfectly perfect. It only depends on how we look and feel about it.