Ordinary days
Our lives are filled with more ordinary days than extraordinary ones. And yet today I’m thinking about those simple, uneventful, life-passing-by types of days. In this third month of the year, I had a birthday, not a milestone. But the day marked the passing of another year, 365 days.
When I look back, I see a trail of mostly ordinary days. In a year that seems so uncommon, the days pass in a blur of mostly unremarkable moments.
“With no special or distinctive features; normal.”
Dictionary, Google.com
Our lives are made up of ordinary days
We live and breathe. We work and play. And, if we’re lucky we do these activities in the company of people we adore.
We have goals and aspirations. We take a step forward, maybe a step back. And always, we’re searching for meaning and purpose in our days. Well, at least I think many of us are, I am!
What makes a day stand out?
Sometimes a day stands out because of the big moments: milestones, tragedy, celebration, welcoming or saying goodbye. These emotion-filled moments stand out in our memories and create a day that is out of the ordinary, uncommon.
Other times days stand out simply because of special little moments: a kind word from a stranger, a glimpse of beauty around us, an accomplishment. These moments can be subtle and fleeting.
This year, I’m marking ordinary days
I learned about the 1 Second Everyday app from Kendra Adachi, of The Lazy Genius Collective. Pictures help me remember my days and when I saw this video diary, it made my heart happy.
It’s truly genius for documenting both ordinary and extraordinary days. You simply select one photo for each day to upload to the app.
Now, I admit even though I take a LOT of pictures, I sometimes miss a day. But they let you cheat a little and if you don’t take a picture every day, you can fill in with other photos. And I’m learning to appreciate the beautiful moments that make up the days, that lead to marking another year on this earth.
The ordinary is actually quite extraordinary
Sometimes you just go with the flow, almost taking life for granted. But, if you slow down, you begin to see things differently.
On an ordinary day, I noticed how the birds began to chirp and the tops of the trees lit up as the sun peaked over the mountains. I heard the crunch of the snow under my boots as the thermometer dipped below zero. And I watched as the moose walked slowly across the lake, turned to look at me, and disappeared into the woods.
The ordinary is pretty extraordinary when I stop to think about it. And another year on this planet? I’m grateful for the days behind me and the beautiful, ordinary and extraordinary days ahead.
Yes, the ordinary days are extraordinary. We used to feed the birds. They were Orlie’s entertainment. He sat in the dining room and watched them. One winter we fed over 1,000 quail. I know. I counted them as they came under the back gate into our yard from the neighbors. Feed got so expensive I quit feeding them, but this year I decided to but a 300 pounds of cracked corn to feed them again. It’s so good to hear my trees sing again with sparrow voices. Forty to fifty quail show up every day. Those alone make the ordinary extraordinary. I go outside and yell for the birds, throw the seed out and come back in to watch them arrive from every direction.
I’ve only taken a couple of trips up Mill Creek this winter but will go again one of these days and I may take a ride up Puitt Rd. but I’ve found out it gets, as Orlie would say, “slicker than snot on a brass doorknob” when it gets wet. Last time I went, I stayed between the fences but was all over the road!
I’m looking forward to my first trip to the prairie again. For about seven years, I did not go once. Orlie died in August, 2011 and it took me until May 2013 to realize I was free to go again. You know what it’s been like since! If the weather continues as is has been, I can probably get up there late this month, but it may be April. Kim is talking about her and Owen coming over to go up with me during spring break this month. That would be an extraordinary day!.