In The Land Of Good Enough

It's hot in the late afternoon when Peter and I make our way outside to check on the garden.  I start the sprinkler for him and he shrieks and backs away, apprehensive, while I make my way around the garden boxes.

It's not secret that things didn't work out exactly how I planned this year, in terms of the garden.  Still, I water those lolling potato plans and check for baby zucchinis and give Peter the one green bean that the groundhog left behind.  There are 4 purple peppers almost ready to be harvested, apparently one of the very few vegetables that our furry friend does not like to eat.  Oh well, good enough.

I scoop Peter up and swing his toes about the sprinkler while he squeals and think about this, the land of good enough.  Sometimes life can really feel that way.  In my minds eye, I see my ideals - a prosperous, beautiful garden.  Clean, well behaved children.  A successful and seamless homeschool experience.  A quick yet effective work out routine.  Impeccable meal plans.

My reality is mostly completely different.  Oh sure, there are the days when all goes according to plan, but for the most part I live in the land of Good Enough.  A place that is nowhere near The Land of Perfect, just south of the town of  Ideal and sometimes dips dangerously close to the wide swaths of  Just Surviving.

I coil the hose and carry a dripping and slightly muddy Peter inside, plop him right down in the sink and start a quick bath.  I hand him a spoon and he splashes, delighted.  Somehow water is less scary to him when contained in a little tub than when spraying in all directions from the end of a hose.  I watch him and he looks up, dripping, grinning so wide his face looks like it could split.

Good enough is, well, good enough.  This house, small and cramped, is good enough.  This silly little garden is good enough.  These kids?  Good enough.  Our homeschool is definitely good enough.  I'm a good enough Mama.  This all doesn't negate trying, striving, and working toward something better, not at all.  But sometimes it feels good to know that this life I've got, the one He gave me - is Good Enough.