Extraordinary days are splendid but our lives are made up of “ordinary” days. Are they really ordinary?
In the liturgical calendar, we spend much of the year in “ordinary time”. What that really means is that we are not celebrating a special season, Lent, Easter, Advent, or Christmas. We spend a good bit of time celebrating those seasons, but what about the in between? Is there anything “festive” about that? I think there is much wisdom and comfort that comes from the “ordinary” times in our lives.
I used to write the seniors in my class letters before they graduated. At first it was kind of general “life advice” that I would give them and I would write a little something personal that I remembered about them. Over the years it evolved into handwritten, personal notes.
The graduating class of 2019 was particularly special. We had been together all four years- a feat since I was not the only French teacher. At the end of the year, they gave me a jar of notes they had written to me. Some of them were sweet, and some of them “confessions” and made me laugh. One student thanked me for all the fun times we had but especially for all of the ordinary days.
At first I was a little offended, I didn’t consider my classes ordinary. Luckily, my wise sister-in-law explained that “ordinary” is a compliment. That meant that student felt safe, loved, and like she belonged. She knew what to expect when she walked though my door each day. That is indeed a high compliment.
Some of my favorite ordinary things to do are sit on the porch with a cup of coffee or tea and a friend, a walk in the park, going shopping to favorite places even if I don’t buy anything, coffee in my jammies with my sister-in-law at Christmas, and early morning daily mass where no one talks to each other.
In our daily lives, how are we spending the ordinary time? Are we waiting for the next great family trip, a date on a mountain top, a special dinner out, or are we just enjoying coloring with the kids?
The extraordinary days are fun, but the true magic is in our everyday ordinary, the routines that make up our days. When I was growing up, we had pizza every Friday night and spent our summers at the lake. I still think about eating pizza on a Friday night and think lakes are prettier than the ocean.
Today or this week sometime, take a moment to reflect on your “ordinary” days. Are they indeed ordinary or are they quite magical?
