My youngest daughter is busy writing and illustrating a book about her life, which at age six, is just as cute as it sounds. But the image she chose for the cover is what caught my attention the most.
Of all the pictures she could have chosen, she drew our front yard, imperfections and all. She drew the weeds that have overtaken our lawn. She made our walkway the focus of her cover picture, particularly the part of the sidewalk that, because of a repair a long time ago, looks completely different than the rest of the walk.
I’m not saying I think my daughter was being deep and philosophical when she chose this image to represent her life’s story, but it was perfect, nonetheless… because it was imperfect.
Most of us feel like that piece of sidewalk in life, like we’re somehow different, weird, like we don’t belong. I mean, anyone who looks at the walkway leading up to our house will be able to pick that piece out, no problem. It’s strange. The color is different; the shape is different, but it’s no less important than the rest of that sidewalk. Without that piece, the walkway wouldn’t work. We’re all supposed to be like that piece in life. We’re all different, for a reason, and equally important to the big picture.
I guess what I’m trying to say is – be weird. And make your weird the cover of your life’s story instead of hiding it somewhere in the back of the book. Be proud to be different. Weird is what makes us beautiful.
Anyway, here’s the cover of my daughter’s book that reminded me just how important being weird is (and just how desperately we need to mow our weeds. Come on, kid, did you have to be that accurate?).
