A Goal For This Here Hive

One of my favorite bloggers the nester is wildly successful in blog land with her tag line of: "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful". Today she is encouraging her readers to develop goals for their homes and then broadcast those goals by posting a link on her blog. Now I am all about goals. There are all kinds of objectives and aspirations ruminating in my noggin. But when it comes to accomplishing anything pertaining to our living quarters, I cower in the corner with great trepidation.
You see, I have issues. From my irrational perspective, it must be perfect. All of it. The first time. Nine years of marriage, 1 apartment, and now house # 4 and it is safe to say I have struggled with contentment regarding home decor in every dwelling. This is sad and unfortunate. Sure, I've painted my share of walls, tossed a few throw pillows around and we even purchased new living room furniture recently. But I agonize over where to hang picture frames and sweat profusely over what to put inside the frames. What will people think of me, of us, if it isn't Just Right. It's all getting a bit ridiculous.

So this year, I vow to make a change. We are thankful for this house, this hive in which to keep our little bees. Instead of being a slave to my insecurities and pouting over what I don't have, I want to throw caution to the wind and open our home to others without worry or fear. I want to extend the same hospitality to others that has been so generously extended to us since we moved here. While I long for this porch to look like something from the pages of Southern Living, I will accept that I am a mother of young children and the perfect porch is not on their radar. But building friendships and having play dates and feeling connected in the community is valuable and I want our family to live that out in 2012.