Finding The Great In The Ordinary

We’re at the midway point of the Easter holidays, and like any parent I’ve been busy conjuring up ways to enjoy spending these days with my children. We’ve been on a bus, a train, walked, cycled and had many trips out in the car. We’ve been to two seaside towns (we live in Norfolk, so that’s pretty easy for us) been swimming, eaten doughnuts, watched movies, had ice-cream, played in the garden, and the children have also been taken to the circus by their grandparents. All in a week.

Yet a few days ago my 4-year-old daughter Pearl threw her arms around me and declared ‘this is my best day EVER!’ Had she just returned from the circus? No. The park? No. Had another Easter Egg? Not even that. I’ll tell you what happened that day: we took the cat for an injection and treated her older brother to his first head lice shampoo. To me, it was a tedious (and slightly revolting) day of chores and mundanity in between all the other fun we were having, but to my little girl it was the best day ever; she saw something great in the ordinary.

I still can’t quite put my finger on what she found so wonderful about that day, other than the simple fact we were together, but it’s challenged me to think about where the great can be found in the ordinary. Can a day only be great if something exciting happens or we get brilliant news, or by keeping a happy head until bedtime? Is a day written off if someone says or does something upsetting? Or actually, like little Pearl, can we be more intentional about appreciating the tiny moments that give us an appreciation for what we have; the things that truly make for a peaceful soul – even when they involve the tasks we’d rather not have to do?

One week of the holidays left and although we’ll still be busy, there’s much more in the way of just being at home planned. I’m going to ask my children every bedtime to tell me what their best bit of the day’s been, and see if it matches up to what my worldly-influenced mind thinks it might be. I’m already convinced they’ll surprise me more than not.

Don’t live for the big moments this week; the mountain top flickers of life that unexpectedly meet all our normally unattainable criteria, but rather look for the little drops of greatness in amongst the ordinary – the messy, nit-treatment, laundry, washing-up kind of days that actually bring us more joy than we realise. If you sustained severe injuries in your workplace, you need an experienced work injury benefits lawyer in Vegas to fight to get the compensation you are entitled to.

For me, anything more than that is a bonus, including the fact my son no longer has head lice….

@FreedomFromHarm | @RachelWelch