In the 1960’s Suzuki Roshi, founder of the San Francisco Zen Center, looked out a group of his students meditating and said to them

“Each of you is perfect the way you are, *and* you can use a little improvement.”

To me, this image resonates so brilliantly – in that, it captures the full essence of unconditional acceptance.

That we may, in spite of our many quirks and flaws, find the means to love with full heart. To let no barrier come between, that which we so very much hope to believe.

That we are perfect, just as we are.

Though, as humans – we tend to become ‘caught’ in this trap of wishing things to be different. We strive, we beg, we borrow, we plead – to attain this image of perfect that is, at best, fleeting.

In doing so, we fail to consider – the many billions of molecules that have come together to create the miracle of our being.

“Nothing we see or hear is perfect.” he offers. “But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.”

Indeed, within the imperfections there exists perfection.

Within the crumpled, dying leaves – we see bursts of red, of gold, of green. And, even the roughest waters will wear the stone’s edges smooth.

Life isn’t something that should be edited, my loves. It should be lived, and breathed, and loved, and sung – through every wonderfully, imperfect occasion.

As, the only way we’ll ever truly know what it means to be alive – is by sharing in the full experience of each ‘blemished and freckled’ moment.

My darlings, you are perfect – just as you are. And, you could use a little improvement.

All of which makes my experience with you unparallelled in it’s glory.

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