Appreciate the Imperfections
Happy Thanksgiving week!
I hope you get to spend some lovely time with family and friends in the near future. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays—but I also know that, for many of us, the reality of gathering with family looks a bit different from the warm, blissful picture we imagine.
Let’s be honest:
Grandpa Bob will probably bring up politics.
Aunt Marge might steer the conversation toward religion.
Nephew Ethan will keep saying “Six, Seven” like a crazy person.
Your kids won’t stay in their chairs for more than two minutes.
And of course, there’s that one thing everyone’s thinking about but no one dares mention.
On and on it goes…
So here’s my pitch to you: don’t take it personally.
You are in charge of your own peace of mind. If you take other people’s quirks, opinions, or rough edges personally, you’re setting yourself up for frustration and stress.
Instead, where you can, try to appreciate the imperfections around you. Remember, nobody’s perfect—we all have our own stories, struggles, and blind spots. Yet those imperfections often give life its character and warmth.
Think about a jeweler examining diamonds: the real ones have tiny flaws, known as inclusions. They’re what make each gem unique. The fakes? They often look too perfect.
There’s a lesson in that. Real life—the messy, unpredictable, occasionally awkward kind—is where the good stuff actually happens. The “picture-perfect” moments we imagine are just that: pictures. They’re not real, and trying to make them real usually leads to disappointment.
So this Thanksgiving, try to cherish the inclusions—in your family, your friends, and yourself.
It’s those imperfections that make life authentic, beautiful, and worth celebrating.
Happy to be in your corner,
Tom Page, LCPC
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