The best things in life are often not planned

One of the greatest life lessons that making soap has taught me is the best things in life are often not planned. I am a recovering perfectionist. When I started making soap I expected to produce perfect little bars of soap. When a batch of soap didn't turn out the way I had planned I sunk in discouragement. Or if I didn't cut it quite right I would be irritated. Well this is contrary to the whole notion of "handcrafted". The entire process of making handcrafted soap is this interaction between the soapmaker and the ingredients and tools producing bars of soap that are inherantly unique. I quickly discovered that the uniqueness of my soaps is what drew people to them. People who want perfect shape and form can get it that at the drugstore.

One of my favorite unplanned soap stories is "La Vader". I planned to make a goat milk & lavender soap that was a hazy purple color. Using natural colorants is tricky because each ingredient reacts with the others affecting the outcome, especially the color. When the soap went in to the mold it looked exactly like what I was going for. Two days later when I pulled it out of the mold it was black. I was bummed. But it had this beautiful aroma. Just a touch of lavender with chamomile, very mild. So last Christmas I packaged it up with a little note that read "La Vader Handcrafted Soap - Feeling melancholy? Try the dark side of clean. Let lavender and chamomile soothe your mind and body." I gave it to my friend BJ as a joke and he loved it. I told him it was an accident, and he said "No, I really think you've got something here ... keep making it." So this past fall I added it to my line-up of seasonal soaps. People really love it. It cracks me up because I never would have planned this.

I see this irony in life. I have struggled (in vain of course) to create life that is according to my plan. I have often resisted the things that go against my plan. But if I roll with the unplanned there is great mystery and goodness in it. I find the greatest fulfillment in life when I surrender my plan and appreciate what comes my way. I've lived this habit of being disappointed over the things that didn't go according to plan. By living in this mode I have missed the joy of appreciating the unexpected. Especially as we head into the holidays which are often replete with expectation I want to live out the soap lesson learned, to enjoy and celebrate the unexpected, and even look for it.

You can find out more about LaVader all natural handmade soap at http://store.lavandedebois.com/servlet/-strse-48/lavender-chamomile-goat-milk/Detail