When I was in the second grade, the other little black girl in my class whispered to me, “I have to be perfect…”. If I could go back in time, I would take her hand and say “sis, I feel the same way” but I was seven and I didn’t know how to articulate my feeling into words.

I am afraid to make mistakes.

I’d like to use this episode to share how I feel about my need to be perfect and how I keep my fear of making mistakes from messing up my life.