Mistakes Are Worth It

Based on my Slightly Off philosophy, I’ve learned that mistakes can be a good thing.
When you not only accept, but embrace your mistakes, you can bring a positive energy to almost any situation.

My godchild, Claire, was to make her first communion. It was a special day, which called for a special gift, for this sweet, petite, tomboy who would rather be in soccer cleats and shorts than in a white, frilly dress. With only a few days before the event, I finally found it – a beautiful pewter cross. At first glance it appeared almost masculine, but hidden in the intricate design were a few tiny pearls. The inscription at the base of the cross read: Bless My Goddaughter.

That night after dinner, I couldn’t wait to show, Claire’s godfather, my husband, the cross. I waited for the expected response, and wasn’t disappointed. “This is perfect for Claire. Great job, Deb!”

Beaming proudly, I handed it to my daughter for her expected praise. But it didn’t come.
She stared at the cross, and said, “Um, mom. . . gee, uh, I hate tell you this. But this actually says, ‘Bless My Granddaughter.’”
I put on my glasses, grabbed for the cross, and sure enough, that’s exactly what it said, “Bless My Granddaughter.”

In the past, I would’ve beat myself up for myself for such a silly mistake and fumed about the wasted time and effort. But this time, it took only a second for me to shift my perspective. I laughed. My husband laughed and then my daughter joined in. The shared laughter and good mood made the trip back to the store more than worth the trouble. In addition, I shared the story with my goddaughter’s mother and she had a good laugh too. But the best laugh was yet to come.

At the communion party, my godchild opened her card and the cross. Once again, I took the opportunity to tell Claire and her sisters about the almost “granddaughter” gift. And once again the room filled with laughter. But it was my daughter, who sat reading the card, who prompted the biggest laugh. She suddenly looked up at me, shook her head and said, “Um, mom, I hate to tell you this, but this card says, “Congratulations on your Confirmation.”

As my e-mail friends would say, we were all ROFL (Rolling on the floor laughing).
Who would’ve thought mistakes could bring so much joy into the world.

Now that’s Slightly Off!