When you see our Christmas tree, one of the first things you might notice is our crooked star. I love our little star, but it will not sit straight on a tree. Years ago, I used to try to straighten it, but after a few days of the dog barreling into the tree or the cats using the tree as their own personal playground, the star would be crooked again.

This year, I embraced our crooked star. I didn’t try to fix it or make it look like all the other stars and I don’t apologize for it when people mention it’s a little off-center.

I’m ok with it. It’s like me, like all of us … imperfect, unique, messy and perhaps a little off-center. It reminds me to let go and let things be what they will be, and let people be who they are.

When we are willing to share ourselves as we are instead of who we think people expect us to be, and before we’ve got everything straightened out, we give others a chance to see us for who we really are, to fall in love with us, and perhaps to share their own crooked stars.