mom was right

today i learned that practice really does make perfect.

which is unfortunate, because i was hoping that this one was the one thing i could prove my mother wrong on.

that aside, what i liked most about learning this today was that it wasn't just something that suddenly happened, like when someone looks at you and says "did you know that...". this was a nugget of life knowledge that has been a long time coming. but i did realize it in one of those everyday moments that usually passes by with redundant monotony, but instead God decided to use it in a way that highlighted a part of my life that i otherwise would have missed out on.

i was cutting tomatoes.

i didn't want my last two to go bad, so on a whim i decided to make a mock caprese salad using shredded mozzarella and no basil. it was as good a topping as any for my hamburger, and it saved me from wasting two perfectly good tomatoes, whose skin was slowly getting wrinkly and i knew wouldn't make it much longer. on any other night, i probably would have skipped it since i lacked the right ingredients, and let the tomatoes go, but i was in the right frame of mind to be receptive to the firming of months of experience that being an adult has brought, and i don't think God was ready to let it slide. and so i found myself hungry enough for those two tomatoes that i took the time to prepare them. i was standing at the counter chopping away when something struck me. the first time i cut up roma tomatoes for bruschetta, i read the recipe line by line over and over to make sure i was doing it right- slice in half, remove the seeds, dice. it took me at least half an hour to get 2 tomatoes de-seeded and diced that night, and it was pain-staking. i went through several tools to figure out the best way to get the seeds off, and sliced them several different ways to figure out how i like them diced the best.

tonight, it took me about 5 minutes from start to finish to get the entire "caprese salad" made, and it had turned into a nearly thoughtless process. my hands just knew what to do with the tomatoes. and as i stood there stirring the balsamic vinegar into the little cubes of juicy red yumminess, i hit me how many tasks in my life have gone from tedious, awkward, and new to simple, learned, and comfortable.

for example: i can make an awesome pot of coffee without agonizing over how many scoops or cups to use. i can butterfly a chicken breast in 10 seconds. i can cut up a head of iceburg and romaine lettuce while the butterflied chicken breasts finish grilling. i can weed my garden without having to put on gardening clothes. i can vacuum the whole house before sam gets home from work and still have time for a snack. i can grocery shop for the two of us, getting enough food to last two weeks, keeping it all gluten free and under $150 without having to worry about if i'm getting it done fast enough to get home and let the dog out. i can blow dry my hair and put on my make up in under 10 minutes and still look thoroughly put together. i can make dinner for two and my lunch for the next day simultaneously. i can carry armfuls of ridiculous things and not drop any of them. i can actually make phone calls to places like the doctor or the insurance company without breaking out in a cold sweat. i can get breakfast set up for 19 kids in about 5 minutes. i can pull out of my garage without having to check to make sure i'm not going to run into the door frame (although i do anyway). i can send a text message without looking at my phone once. i can get from my bed to the bathroom and back again at night without any shin bruises. i can swing the gate on our deck with just the right amount of force to get it to shut without pushing it all the way. i can pray to God for strength or patience or calm without even realizing it.

in short, i have started to get good at living. practice has started to bring me as close to perfect as i will ever be able to get. no one can do all of it right. i still run into things. i still spill stuff everywhere. i still double and triple check new recipes as i try them out for the first time. i still pre-read new books before i read them out loud to my students (usually). i still forget just about everything, even if i write it down. some things, no amount of practice will ever be able to fix. but most things that have become a daily part of who i am, i have found that i can learn, and not only do, but do well.

but only with practice.