Can perfection ever truly be achieved? Depends on who you ask, but if you’re asking me, then no, it cannot. Social media was developed during my adolescence and I know I am guilty of commenting, “You’re perfect,” on someone’s Instagram picture, but why is that considered a compliment these days? It’s really not. Who wants to be “perfect?” I realize there are different definitions of the word and in God’s eyes we were all created in His image and therefore we are all perfect. However, is a picture of two girls holding Starbucks really “perfect?” No, it’s not.
Pictures can capture a lot, but perfection is not one of them. It’s not one of them because perfection, to me, is impossible to capture. It’s impossible to capture moments of perfection because no one stops and takes out their camera or phone during these times. Perfection is driving down the street and looking above you at the leaves changing from green to red. Perfection is the beating of your heart as your team is seconds away from becoming state champions; even more perfect is the indescribable feeling when the buzzer goes off and your team wins. The perfect first kiss after an amazing first date, the butterflies in your stomach as he leans in, your heart beating faster and slower all at the same time when the long-awaited kiss happens. A phone or camera can’t capture everything you feel in these perfect moments. It’s simply impossible.
Why we have started using "perfect" as a casual compliment, I wish I could tell you, but what I can tell you is that I don’t take it as a compliment. I’m flattered someone thinks I’m “perfect” in a picture, but if I were to tell you that I feel lonely all the time and there are days where I would give anything just to go home, would you still comment "perfect?" I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t call that anywhere near perfect. Yes, everyone has those days and yes, no one is legitimately perfect. I am well aware of this fact and this saying, just like everyone else. But if this is true then why on almost every picture you can find a comment that tells the person they are perfect?
It’s like the fairytale story about the boy who cried wolf, you do it one too many times and nobody believes you. You call too many people perfect; the meaning behind the word becomes casual and nonchalant. People say they don’t mean anything when they comment that someone is perfect and that’s exactly the problem. They don’t mean anything by saying it. Then why even say it? That’s my question.
The word perfect should be saved to describe those indescribable moments, just like the word love should be saved for someone who really deserves to be told how much you love them. One of my all-time favorite questions to be asked is what is your perfect day? I love this question because there is no wrong answer and everyone has a perfect day. To me, my perfect day is a typical Sunday at home in the fall when the air smells like fire, the wind sends a chill across your face, and you get that Sunday night feeling. It’s perfect. With that being said, it’s been a long time since I’ve experienced my perfect day, but it warms my heart to think about. It makes me happier knowing that I’ll always have my perfect day. We all have perfect moments in our lives and they don’t necessarily have to be the ones where we were perfectly and incandescently happy. Most perfect days don’t always consist of a million perfect moments. They’re perfect because they impact you. They’re perfect because they’re important to you.
Society already pressures women to look and act certain ways; we shouldn’t pressure each other to be “perfect.” Again, I realize nobody ever means any harm by the comment, but again, that’s the problem. Subconsciously it puts pressure on women to achieve this “perfection” that their friends so easily see. Nine times out of 10, a woman who has a “you’re perfect” comment on her picture does not feel perfect. Flattered, maybe, but perfect, no. Striving for perfection in life is a waste of time, because ultimately it’s impossible to achieve.
Perfection is short and fleeting. You don’t realize something even was perfect until it’s already passed. Even if you did capture the moment you felt perfect, you wouldn’t realize the moment was special until the picture brought you back to the memory of that perfect moment in time.
With all that being said, next time you feel the urge to comment “you’re perfect,” don’t. Save your
“perfect” moment for when you’re dancing with your husband for the first time at your wedding and you look up at him and say, “Today was perfect.”
So, with all that being said... Starbucks, my apologies, but a picture of you and your customers is not a "you're perfect" moment.
