Wabi-Sabi and my truly brilliant mom

Let me start this post by saying that my mom is awesome.  Truly and utterly amazing, and not just in a "my mom is better than your mom" kind of way (that was cute when we were 6), but in an "I want to grow up to be like her" kind of way.  Considering the fact that she raised three of us (and we didn't turn out too badly if I say so myself) before she and my dad took on the task of raising 53 kids and counting more through a youth care program (not all at once), she's obviously got some great experience in the mom department.  So you'd think I'd be used to her ingenious surprises by now, but I was shocked when she pulled this one out of her hat--wabi-sabi.

Now, you're probably asking yourself the same thing I did, "don't you mean wasabi?"  I actually did ask her that in my moment of shock, I can be such a skeptic.  But she was absolutely correct, it is wabi-sabi.  I found this after I googled it.  And right at my feet, delivered a la my awesome mom, was the perfect concept for what I am seeking.  Check out the Wikipedia version here. Wabi-sabi is a Japanese perspective on beauty with some Buddhist values thrown in.  It focuses on the transient, imperfect, developing nature of all things, beauty included.  It's the idea that the imperfections are what make us beautiful, we learn from the experience as it happens, and we connect to the world at a simplistic, experiential level.  What a great way to explain my goals for this year.  I'm really hoping to connect with my world and myself through new challenges, and to grow from those challenges.

Wow.  I'm wabi-sabi-ing (can I use it as a verb? well, I just did...wabi-sabi that).  Let me know your thoughts on wabi-sabi, how you see it.  I'm interested to know.

On another note, I'm coming up with some fun things to try.  Any suggestions?  My mom, awesome as she is, suggested we make a girls day a couple times a month to volunteer at a soup kitchen (hello, awesome!), learn to knit, and start a book club.  I'm thinking along the lines of 5K training and trying to surf.  All ideas are welcome!

With that I'll leave you to your own contemplations.  Peace and wabi-sabi.