All in the eye of the beholder

When I was a kid I visited back and forth between parents. My wardrobe was limited but I owned a white summer dress with a green border of zoo animals around the hem. I loved this dress and wore it on special occasions.
One day my father took me to the La Brea Tar Pits, a gooey LA landmark where trapped ice age animals became fossils. I was thrilled to be spending the day with him. Before we left I accidentally got a big smear of tar along the backbone of the giraffe.
When I got home, my mother was furious. "You've ruined your dress!" she said.
Secretly I was elated. In my mind the dress was finally made perfect.