What one word sums you up?

I entertain a million thoughts a minute, so it is no surprise some of those thoughts are not super clear. As I was trying to sum up what they have in common, I came up with the word "practical". I have really high standards, high expectations but I have noticed that my approach is often practical. For example, in general I don't follow recipes that contain 100 ingredients. I neither have the time or people in my household that will enjoy the effort that went into it. At this stage in my life, I'd rather allocate that time to something that brings me joy like my family or reading. The good news is that everyone is happy with my cooking!

Yet, for some reason I feel the word "practical" does not have a great connotation. Practical in most people's minds means less than ideal, minimal investment, settling for bare bones. Even when practical, most people excuse it as a way to avoid being judge. "I made a simple meal, because we are getting ready to leave on vacation." "Just a little thing, to say thank you." Why do we downplay our efforts, however small they may seem to others?

Since we were learning to use the dictionary, I thought I would look up this word myself. According to google (yes, that was my dictionary. Luckily, not the one I was teaching my kids to use), practical means the following:

Wow. Were you expecting that? I was not. I admit I almost feel vindicated. Not just powerful, these synonyms were the opposite. I would dare even say positive. Who does not want life/kids/school/work/cooking/crafting/etc. to be workable/doable/feasible? Yet, we spend time making things look more complicated then they are. We spend time making the mundane heroic, and the ugly pretty for people we have created, conversations we have imagined, others thoughts we cannot control. It is a sense of duty that perhaps needs to be redirected.

Practical is not doing things at a C level or doing less. It is a style that provides a balance for life, a way to enjoy every activity and be present. For those that need permission, perhaps this will serve as that! Give yourself permission to make a 3-ingredient meals, have an all day pajama day, limit your after school activities to one per child, or plant a small garden.

What is your word?