Most of us grow weary of ordinary days, especially, when they come in long, winding strings that seem to go on forever and ever.  The mundane, repetitive tasks that we perform each and every day.  The established sequence of our coming and going.  The same ole, same ole.   

Most days, we go along with little deviation from the routine.  We get up at the same time.  Make the coffee.....one sugar and a creamer.  Feed the dog her usual fare.  Shower with the same soap and the same shampoo and get dressed.  Eat breakfast.....a bowl of the same cereal and a glass of the same juice.  Take the kids to school and give them the same reminders as they get out of the car.  Drive to work taking the usual route while listening to the same morning show.  Sit at the same desk.  Answer the phone and hear the same questions.  Read the typical emails.  Attend a meeting to discuss ordinary stuff.  Order the usual from the deli down the street.  Work a little more before driving home at the same time.  Fix dinner....one of the 6 recipes from our normal rotation.  Clean the kitchen.  Help the kids with homework.  Correct them for the same behaviors.  Do the laundry.  Do the usual exercise routine.  Watch the same shows on TV.  Go to bed at the same time.....right after the news.  And wake up to do it all again. 

Sometimes, we refer to it as being in a rut.  When we travel the same path everyday, our wheels start to wear away at the ground underneath and we just go along almost without steering.  Most days, we get up, set our wagon on the track, and mindlessly bounce along through the day.  Sometimes, the monotonous route can leave us bored and dazed.  Sometimes, we find ourselves just going through the motions.  Coasting along with our nose to the grindstone.  We may daydream about vacations or more exciting paths that we wish to explore but we know that the worn path is where we'll likely stay most of the time. 

These are the days between the big, heavy stuff that comes our way.  The days when we plug along and don't even realize that we're making a difference.  When we're so numb to the scenery that we don't see that what we're doing is important.  It's in these typical days that our children are raised.  Our careers are defined.  Our legacy is written.  They're the days when memories are made.  When lives are influenced.  When bonds are formed and friends are made and love grows and grows.  There's nothing especially splashy about them.  No headlines to glean there.  Nothing which would cause the world to sit up and take notice.  They're just the days when we can be found faithful to our responsibilities.  Our families.  Our calling.  
  
The other day, we got a wall hanging in at the store.  I loved what it said but I can't remember exactly how it went.  It was about appreciating the gift of an ordinary day.  I suppose, even with all of its ho-hum, the ordinary does have its advantages.  It definitely has its overlooked positives.  An ordinary day means that we didn't receive a life changing diagnosis.  No one in our family went missing.  Our child didn't fall into trouble.  Our husband didn't lose his job.   A storm didn't destroy everything we own.  The house didn't go into foreclosure.  There was no death in our family.  No phone call that took our breath away.

The Bible says there is a time for everything.  "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance."  We have fun here on Motherhood and Muffin Tops 95% of the time but joking just didn't feel right to me this week....out of respect for the people I love who are mourning.  I've just gotten home from the funeral for my cousin's wife who I spoke about the other day.  A young mother leaving behind a husband and three children ranging from 2 months to 6 years.  I know many heartbroken people tonight who wish that today had been just another ordinary day. 

Ordinary. Usual. Routine. Typical. 

They sound like music to the mourning heart.         
   
I hope we all wake up to an amazingly ordinary day and I hope that I'll start to appreciate them for the wonderful things that they really are.