“Ordinary day, help me recognize the treasure you hold. Teach me to appreciate, cherish, and honor you before you vanish. Let me not overlook you while I chase after some elusive perfect tomorrow. Allow me to embrace you while I can, for this may not always be the case. One day, I might find myself yearning for your return more than anything else in the world.” – Inspired by Mary Jean Irion
Parenthood is a tapestry woven from countless days. Some are bright and joyful, some are challenging, but most are simply “ordinary.” These are the days filled with routines, nap times, and the constant cycle of cleaning up after little ones. Days spent navigating both giggles and tears, tickles and tantrums.
A normal day in parenting can swing between chaotic, enchanting, monotonous, and delightful, all at once. That’s the essence of what being a parent means.
Yet, it can be all too easy to feel overwhelmed by the chaos and stress that comes with these ordinary days. The noise of tantrums can fray our last nerve, and the relentless chores can start to feel like a slow form of torture—drip, drip, drip.
Sometimes, the routine of waking up multiple times at night to care for a child can feel suffocating. The mornings when groggy kids scramble to find their shoes can test our patience. The evening struggles with homework or sibling squabbles can grow tiresome.
How often do we find ourselves longing to fast-forward through these ordinary moments? How often do we wish for “some elusive perfect tomorrow”?
I often catch myself in these thoughts. As I scrub the kitchen for what feels like the hundredth time, or remind my kids to clean up their messes once again, or respond to a call from a child who should be asleep, I find myself wishing for a quieter time when my family’s demands are not so unyielding.
But then, amidst all the chaos, I pause and take stock. I mentally capture the essence of this ordinary day and remind myself that there may come a time when I would give anything to experience it again.
This isn’t just a hypothetical thought. I remember a single mother I met whose only child was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. I think about the countless days that followed, from the diagnosis to the heartbreaking moments leading up to his passing at age twelve. What I wouldn’t give to share a normal day with him.
I reflect on the months spent with my sister-in-law during her losing battle with pancreatic cancer, when our family’s days lost their normalcy. I think back to the tragic loss of my uncle, which turned my 10-year-old world upside down.
I remember those suffering through war, famine, or extreme poverty, desperately seeking a sliver of normalcy. I think of those grappling with sudden loss or trauma, and the weight of impossible choices.
In those moments of reflection, I am filled with gratitude for the normal days. It’s not about diminishing our own struggles because others have it worse. The comparison game can be unproductive, and we must honor our own feelings.
Yet, there is beauty in recognizing the gift of an ordinary day. Even when it feels more challenging than joyful, even when the daily grind wears us down, the very fact that we can call a day “normal” is worth celebrating.
Let us cherish our ordinary days for the treasures they are. Let us learn from them and appreciate what they offer. Let’s strive not to wish them away, as we can never predict what tomorrow might hold.
“Ordinary day, help me recognize the treasure you hold.” Indeed.
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