Finding Wabi Sabi was sweet serendipity. Then, it was a home decorating concept, greatly appealing to my sensibility for a natural, earthy approach to home living. Now, it is a way of being that brings naturalness and beauty, a  necessary peace, to my life and relationships.

Wabi Sabi is a Japanese concept, a way of life that “places value on the transient, unfinished and imperfect nature of life. It sees beauty in the rough edges of both people and things. It is at peace with what is. It values all that is real and authentic, finding joy and fulfillment in the good, bad and ugly rather than longing for unattainable fantasies of the ideal.” ¹

We believe in the ideal and flawless, and everywhere we are hounded by the urgency of manicured perfection. Some of the most beautiful words ever written, “Let it be” and “All is well” now feel like pieces of distant wisdom, irrelevant and unattractive to our passion for the idyll. Still, the true and imperfect nature of life remains. We suffer from persistent shortfalls in our relationships. We think we deserve more and so continue to demand more. We and our loves, constantly tugging at each other’s imperfections, in an attempt to wield them into anything but. What toxicity we unknowingly feed each other on such precious, borrowed time. Where is the friendship and what happened to the love?

What if we stopped making demands on the size and shape of our loving? What if we practice friendship to practice love? What if we “love without agenda”²? What if we simply let things be and allowed life to ebb and flow as it should? What if we assured ourselves that all is well and believed it enough to finally see the handwriting of God in everything?

Know that I ventured far enough into my What Ifs to say, each  gives peace and joy and fulfillment. Know that the serendipity of Wabi Sabi is also practical wisdom. Know that love and truth and beauty flow forth and back on the river of imperfection yet never fade. Know that faith moves mountains and God never forsakes.

This is my experience, and quite frankly, here is my heart! I hope it is helpful.

¹Jacques, Andrea. Wabi-Sabi Wisdom: Inspiration for an Authentic Life. . Kyosei Press. Kindle Edition.
² Chona Carino Solano