Shel Silverstein was one of my favorite childhood authors.

Even as a kid, I remember thinking that he was a ballsy dude, with his no-color illustrations and his hand-drawn typefaces.

His stories were some of my favorites then, but the themes have revealed themselves to me over the years in ways I couldn’t have understood as a child.  Now as a mom, they’re a mirror I can use to examine my own life, and a blueprint for values I want to instill in my children.

One of my favorites then, and still now, is The Missing Piece. You know, the little guy that looks like a pizza pie with a slice missing that goes rolling through life on a quest to find someone to complete him?  He has some bad dating experiences along the way— pieces that are too loose and fall out, pieces crack in his too-tight embrace, and a piece that’s too pointy and just plain hurts.

When he finally finds his “perfect fit,” he discovers that “perfection” means he can’t stop to talk to a worm, or smell a flower.  He can’t even sing his happy song (because his mouth is full) and he thinks to himself:

“Aha, so that’s how it is.”

The little guy literally has an “Aha moment”.  He figures out what so many of us have trouble seeing— that he’s okay the way he is.  That within his perfectly-imperfect self lies everything he needs to lead a happy, fulfilled, super-awesome life.

If you’ve tried looking to your husband, your children, your job, your house or your brand-name diaper bag to make you happy, and nothing works, it’s time to look to Shel Silverstein for some guidance.

The Perfect Moms Finish Last 6-Week Course is all about giving you the keys to a life where you feel COMPLETE just as you are, where ALL PARTS of you are expressed and you don’t have to sweep parts of yourself under the rug.

You can talk to the worm AND smell the flower.

This is not about “having it all,” proving to the world that you can do everything so that you’re so exhausted you can barely stand.

It’s about embracing all the parts of you:

The part that wants to stomp in puddles with your kids, to watch worms, to peel off your raincoats, and make hot chocolate with extra marshmallows.

AND

The part that longs to write on a whiteboard, collaborate with colleagues, roll up your sleeves, and feel the thrill of the successful work project.

AND

The part that wants to travel with carry-on luggage only, to read The New Yorker, to put on a pair of skinny jeans and heels, have a beer and discuss politics.

All these parts don’t make you the “Perfect Mom”.  They make you perfectly YOU.  And if you can embrace who you are, just as you are, you’re on the path to Missing Piece-style fulfillment.