The Parthenon, the ancient Greek temple to                                                                               the goddess Athena, is often thought of as a symbol of architectural perfection. From a distance it does look perfect, but upon close inspection, it becomes apparent that it is precisely imperfect. The floor curves, the columns lean, and there are hardly any right angles and barely a straight line. Even the individual pieces of the structure are unique and non-interchangable. All these imperfections are actually what make the Parthenon look perfect. They counteract the optical illusions our eyes create, giving us the illusion of perfection.

We are all the Parthenon. No matter how hard we may try to give the appearance or illusion that we are perfect, or try to fit others’ or our own illusions of what we think we should be, none of us will ever be perfect. We are all unique individuals with our own unique differences that make us who we are and with our own individual challenges to better ourselves. By being our true selves, we will see the beauty in our imperfections.

Athena is the goddess of wisdom, inspiration, justice, courage, arts, and crafts. May the symbol of her temple inspire us to have the courage to be true to ourselves and others, and to be just and understanding towards others whose vision is still clouded by illusions.