As most kids, I loved having someone read me a storybook. One of my favorites was Richard Scarry's, The Best Mistake Ever. I'm sure at the time I loved it because of the pictures, the silliness and the simplicity. Some 15 years later, I had long since forgotten about the book. Until the other day, probably during a session of day-dreaming, the title popped into my head. Although I may not be as entertained by the pictures and colors anymore, I realize that the message from this children's book actually has a very profound meaning in our adult lives.
If you're not familiar with the book, the story follows the misadventure of Huckle Cat. His mother sends him to the store with a list of essentials, but once there, he realizes he forgot the list. He relies on his memory, but misconstrues the specifics of each item:
When Huckle gets home with all the wrong items, his mother is upset with all the "party food" he bought. Shortly after, the Cats are visited by some friends who Mother had forgotten were coming. Their friends were thrilled with all the party snacks on the table, which wouldn't have been there if not for Huckel's mistake. The problem now being the solution, Huckle's mother declared it his "best mistake ever."
Can you see where I'm going with this? Friends, life is full of mistakes. I'm sure that by now you've realized that. But what you may not have realized is that not every mistake has to be negative or "wrong." Something that seems like a mistake at first may actually benefit you later.
We have a natural tendency to correct things and fix problems when sometimes our problems are also the solutions. The thing to remember is that we don't know what's around the corner. So how could we possibly prepare a perfect path, when we don't even know exactly where we're headed?
Huckle Cat did every possible thing wrong, only for his errors to end up saving the day. Don't hold on to your regrets and don't be afraid to make mistakes. You never know; it just might be your best mistake ever.
