Perfect* is all I've ever wanted and all that has ever been expected of me. Before I was even born, everyone just kept saying what a perfect baby I'd be.
The first words that were ever uttered to newborn baby me were, "It's a perfect baby girl." I was perfect on that date because I wasn't misshapen or deformed and could breathe.
Perfect was what I strived for all through childhood. I was the perfect student, except for those times when I wasn't. Those times when I was less than perfect are the ones I remember.
In high school, things got harder so I worked harder and longer to achieve the coveted gold star and 100%. For me those moments were too far and few in between. Perfect was all I wanted out of life.
The first time I was told I didn't have to be perfect I was in my freshman year of college and panicking about a project grade. My mother stated those words as if it were just that simple. Those words broke the wall holding back the flood of tears and I finally felt *free.