I Admit to Being Nowhere Close to Perfect

My mother and I once had a discussion about the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, a day of fasting and atonement for sin. It is considered the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar. My mother was Jewish but not traditional or religious (nor am I). I had said that I thought that a day of fasting and atonement was psychologically healthy for most people because we all make mistakes and we all feel guilty at times (assuming you are not sociopathic, of course).

My mother said, "I don't need to atone for anything because I haven't done anything wrong." [For the details of her actual behavior you can read my Featured story].

I said, "But...[i]everyone[/i] makes mistakes. It's impossible to live one's life without making mistakes."

Her answer (spoken seriously) was: "Yes, I know. That is why I am a very unusual person."