Approximation

Approximation noun

ap prox i ma tion 

: the quality or state of being close or near

When we were babies, approximations were celebrated. We scooted across the floor, we babbled, we took wobbly steps and fell in the arms of loved ones all around us.  “So close,” people would say.

As we grew older, these approximations become less appreciated. We were corrected at best and sometimes admonished for our clumsy attempts at new things, at hard things. Expectations were placed on us and eventually, we started to reinforce the expectations on ourselves. We tended to shy away from new things and keep to the comfort of the ordinary.

But, what if we celebrated our approximations as adults? What if we try for an entire summer to stand up on a surf board, only get up once, and tell the story with pride and a smile. “So close.”

What if we take on a new challenge, commit to being vulnerable and accept our own approximations as writers, or bread makers, or artists, or quilt makers. What if we commit to trying out new roles like leadership, or counseling, or nursing? “So close,” is wonderfully better than “I never tried.” And what if we were cheered on by loved ones?