The Imperfect Solution

I painted my nails for the first time EVER a few days ago. It was quite an exilarating experience! One that I had put off because I was scared of what would happen after a few days of doing dishes, scrubbing children, and washing my hands. I didn't want to have nasty looking fingernails. I wanted them to be perfect. So kept them clean and trimmed, but I never painted them. 

But a few weeks ago, after admiring a few of my friends' nails,  I decided that I was going to paint mine and I'd just deal with the consequences. As soon as the paint chipped, I'd take the polish off and be done with it. That was my plan. 

So I went to the store, choose a nice summer color and went to work. I had so much fun! And for about two days I stared at my perfectly painted nails with a newfound since of joy. Then the paint started to fade (as depicted in the picture above) and I began to panic. This is what I feared most. 

Then a thought struck me. Why was I so worried about having perfect nails? No one looks as closely at my nails as I do--I doubted that most people would even notice. So what was I so stressed out about? Who was I try to impress? Myself?

It took some soul searching but I've decided that I like painting my nails and that I'm not going to let perfection get in the way. My fingernail polish is slightly worn right now, but I've started to see some of the beauty in it. And I have to say, I'm a happier person with my imperfect solution.