My Wabi-Sabi Experience!
20 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
Yep- two days after Christmas, I woke up with my mouth feeling funny. I had lunch with my son and his wife that day and couldn’t get a sip of water through the straw. Not wanting to make a big deal out of it, I just moved the straw to the other side of my mouth and finished my lunch. (A little background here- about 30 years ago my dad had something called Bell’s Palsy, which is a temporary paralysis of one side of the face.) I glanced in the mirror as I was heading home from lunch and my first thought was- “Oh crap, Bell’s Palsy!” Sure enough, by the next day my face was drawn up on the left and drooping on the right. Went to the doctor, she confirmed what I thought and prescribed some meds for a week and sent me on my way to do what you have to do with Bell’s…wait!
I'm not kidding, I really looked like this!!
So now- I look like Quasi-Modo, I have a hard time talking, can’t eat very well, can’t spit when I brush my teeth, can’t smile, can’t close my eye (actually had to tape it shut at night). And with all this- all the good cuss words won’t come out right! And there’s nothing I can do about it but wait! Frustrating- to say the least!
Oddly enough, a couple of weeks ago I ran across this phrase- and it was interesting to me, so I wrote it down in my journal, not knowing when I might be able yo use it! Wabi-Sabi.
Wabi-sabi (侘寂?) represents a comprehensive Japaneseworld view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. “[Wabi-sabi] nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.”~Wikipedia
Throughout all that I read about this was the recurring theme of imperfection, asymetry, roughness, irregularity, and in the middle of all that was beauty! Now, that’s odd to me, since I don’t normally connect imperfection and beauty. To tell the truth- as I glanced in the mirror at my disfigured face- beauty was the LAST word that came to mind! But- I was about to find out that this was WABI-SABI to a tee! Imperfection, impermanence and incomplete! I knew it would eventually go away. I’ve known plenty of people who have had it and recovered from it. Some have had recurrences, some didn’t completely return to the pre-BP condition. Imperfect, Impermanent, Incomplete! The beauty of it is this- I have discovered how patient I can be! I have realized that so many people can be so encouraging and positive which was the key to keeping myself away from the pity party! I have started paying closer attention to my health and habits and making some changes! And, I have had the best possible outcome! After about 3 weeks- I feel like I am getting back quite a bit of movement in the right side of my face and can actually smile again! (It’s still a little twisted, but better every day and I know that I’m livin’ in the grace of God!)
So, the next time I find myself thinking that my day, week, month is a little twisted, not working out like I want it to, I’m going to call it a WABI-SABI Day and smile(because I can) and wait for tomorrow, because I know it won’t last!!
I'm never again going to take for granted how nice it is to smile! 
