Picture of Nature’s perfection taken by recent Fynbos Retreat guest, Sheryl

I have often blithely referred to my desire to do things perfectly as :”The greatest form of self-abuse”. Do you think my knowing that or saying it to all who will give me the time of day, has cured me? No such luck!

I suffer greatly from the persistent pernickety pursuit of perfection.

This, despite the fact that I have a rather entertaining anecdote from my far-flung youth that should have put a permanent end to my self-torture. Or, at the very least, put it into perspective so that I can remind myself that to want to do things perfectly is just not on!

Whilst working in the civil service in communications I stumbled on a whole batch of beautiful Christmas cards in a safe. Many boxes of them. They were made of a very high quality corrugated cardboard with a gilt edge and our country’s emblem embossed in gold on the front!

You get the idea…perfect, they were!

Except for one small detail – we had been going through a series of changes of leadership. We jokingly said that our ministers were being changed the way some people change under pants – frequently! With the result that the leaf inside was obsolete as it wished the reader a Merry Christmas from a long since despatched minister and his dutiful spouse.

What to do, what to do? I mean, what a waste. These beautiful cards just useless –laying there. What happened next, I have often said, is something my friends really should help me with. I got a bright idea! Nowadays when I recall what followed, I always say: please if I ever say again I have a bright idea, do me a favour: just bang my head against the wall until it goes away, because it is going to mean work – lots of work…

So I look at the lovely, white cards and I think: why don’t I take the dated leaflet out and replace it with one that I have designed on the computer. Ooh, I could make different ones! One for birthdays, or for congratulations when babies are born or, or, or. It could all be linked to our new corporate culture of excellence in communication.

Cor blimey! What fun. So I convince the head of the organization (whose personal assistant I happen to be)that it would be a wonderful idea to use these cards for internal communication. We could send one to each employee on their birthday or their baby’s birthday or sommer – for whatever reason!. Lekker man lekker.
So I beaver away and I design and I print and all is more than well. Until I send out a first batch and find to my absolute dismay that there is a spelling error right slap bang in the middle of my painstakingly created masterpiece.

My joy drains faster than water from a bath as I wail plaintively : why, why? I tried so hard.

My wise boss smiles and says: “Didn’t you know, Perdita, that the Persians build a mistake into every single carpet they weave on purpose because they believe to be perfect is sacrilegious – only God is perfect”.

Now here’s the thing – I truly believe we are all little bits of God in flesh containers …so.. that means we are perfect just the way we are. Warts and all! To strive to do things well (ahmm..perfectly) is quite frankly – really not necessary at all!

It’s that old, old thing. Of being and doing.

So let me look at the perfect starry sky above Witvoets Kloof and go to sleep before the day begins with it’s striving and doing in the sure and sound knowledge that we are all truly perfect.