An Ordinary Day

Today is special. It is a gift. Especially if it has been… boring… uneventful… tiring, even, in its monotony. Living an ordinary life, full of ordinary routine days, is precious.

 

Too often I motivate myself by focusing on an upcoming event, such as dinner with friends, a family gathering, a favorite holiday, a vacation. It is so easy to forget what a blessing the non-eventful days are.

 

I was reminded of this poem that I stumbled upon when I was pregnant with Liza Jane, wrestling with her diagnosis, grieving over the fact that my baby girl would have to struggle to draw breath, go through painful surgeries, and may not ultimately survive. I was longing for the simplicity and innocence I had before I knew about her illness.

 

“Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.  Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart.  Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.  Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so.  One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.”

Taken from Mary Jean Iron’s Let Me Hold You While I May

 

The imagery in that last sentence rings so true of the grief process. It is a strong, disturbing picture of someone who is walking through a very non-ordinary season of life, and longing for the calm, routine days of the past.

 

It’s easy for me, when walking through grief, to feel like ordinary life is futile. The book of Ecclesiastes really resonates with me in this season. Everything is vanity, everything is meaningless.

 

There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?

Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

 

There is grace, even in the midst of tremendous pain, to be able to enjoy the routine of ordinary days. Solomon, whom God gifted with extraordinary wisdom, knew that there is nothing better than to enjoy the fruit of our labors on these mundane days.

 

I am thankful for this ordinary day. I do not know when some new tragedy may befall my family, my friends, this country, or our earth, that will cause all of us to dig our nails into the earth, to bury our faces in the pillow, to stretch ourselves taut, or raise our hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, for this ordinary day to return.