Modeled after what Emily P. Freeman talked about doing on her podcast last week, I made a “These Are The Days Of” list. It was a fun exercise to consider what this season of life holds, as the days change from summer and summer break to fall and and the school year.
Saying “These are the days of…” makes me more mindful of the fact that “These won’t always be the days of…” I can more thoughtfully appreciate the good things now because I’m aware they won’t last forever. I can also suffer through the challenges, knowing they won’t last forever either.
To make a list like this feels like taking a picture without taking a picture. The list will be totally different six months from now, or even three months from now, just as a photograph taken months apart would show differences in nature and in stature. Because life is always changing, always shifting and merging and hinging open and closed to different opportunities, I find it good and helpful to proclaim This is what is.
“Suddenly you are sitting in your chair fascinated by your own mundane life. That’s the great value of art - making the ordinary extraordinary. We awaken ourselves to the life we are living. ”
THESE ARE THE DAYS OF:
-Seeing deer in our neighborhood
-TJ traveling a lot for work
-Transitioning back to school and homeschool
-Seeking the stillness of the lake (a metaphor for peace) in my soul versus my tornado-like tendencies
-Beginning with prayer
-John Stott devotional
-Mantra: ”I don’t mind what happens”
-Less wine and sugar (September)
-Skiing becomes less a given and more a bonus
-College football (Bauer)
-More dedicated time for writing, but uncertainty (thus, prayer) as to what the work is to be
-The Next Right Thing podcast, monthly discussion with friends about the podcast, and reading Emily’s book
-Eating out as a family one night a week
-Information meetings about high school options for Bauer
-Book study and discussion of Digital Minimalism with TJ and Bauer, every other week
-Good coffee for breakfast, omelets for lunch
-Sitting with Story for piano practice
-Organizing my recipe binders
-Letting my hair grow out
These days are full, but they are fulfilling. These days are ordinary, but they are mine. These days are a tiny blip in my existence, but they mean so much. These days are good because I am in Christ and I don’t mind what happens.
