Friday 7 October 2011

Anything but...

Remember when I posted about my Google search terms for the blog here? Basically these are the most popular search terms used by people, on Google, and they'll end up here because of it.


Well I had a look, out of curiosity, tonight and this term came up:


mormon perfect life blog

I have a problem with this. Number one problem is that a lot of journalists have recently written about how 'Mormon blogs' have sprung up all over the Internet - with the authors of the blogs being housewives who write about their 'perfect Mormon lives.' My life is Mormon, but it's not perfect.

I love my beliefs and my life but I struggle with both - usually struggling more with the latter. There is a great implication in general that somehow those of a particular faith or belief lead these impeccable lifestyles - or at least lifestyles that try to be impeccable.

Well I'm here to tell you that I'm probably like you. I slum it in my worst clothes around the house from time to time. I have arguments with my husband over things that don't matter the next day, although I'm trying to cut back on those because an argument free household (at least between my parents) is what I grew up in - and it was great. I also question my abilities as a home maker, which are thin on the ground. I can go days where my hair hasn't been washed. And I don't bake my own cookies. Although, that would be great.



The thing is that, I feel, with my beliefs as they are I am a pretty happy person in life, in general. Yes the every day grind wears me down as much as the next person and sometimes I don't understand the conveyor belt-like set-up of housework (something gets dirty, clean it, something gets dirty again, clean it again) but as I know my Heavenly Father personally knows me, I feel secure as a person. 

We're also taught to honour each other as husband and wife and with that you have to learn empathy, understanding and trust like nobodies business. A husband has no dominion over his wife and a wife has no dominion over her husband. They compliment one another as they stand side by side. And perhaps it's that great equality we've managed to find in our relationships, that the World seems to lack, that makes us come off as 'smug' or 'perfect.' And what's wrong with perfect?

Yes, granted, I don't feel it's a state any one can reach in this life. This life is our perfection dart board. We try to hit that bullseye and miss, but it doesn't mean we stop trying to reach that target. 

Perhaps perfection is so far-removed from where the World, societies and cultures can be right now that the very idea seems so far fetched to people who look in from the outside? I don't know.

All I know is my own life. And my own beliefs. And all I know is that I am not writing this 'Mormon perfect life blog.' I am capturing my families life, as we grow - and it's not perfect. In fact it's actually quite messy, fun and full of tears and grammar mistakes.