Doing the Ordinary but being Extraordinary

Lately I have been thinking about the endless things we do that seem relatively ordinary. As a stay at home mom, I think I live a pretty ordinary life. I have floors to sweep and clothes to wash and meals to make and rooms to clean and kids to get to activities and books to read and a husband to love  and children to love and on and on and on it can go.

I'm not out there saving the dolphins, or going up into space to run experiments. I am just doing day to day things. Yet, from these day to day things extraordinary things can happen.

Through my simple actions and choices lives can be changed. By being at home I am able to easily make meals from scratch. I don't have to think a head as much and make sure I remember to turn the crock pot on or set the oven for a particular time or leave instructions for the kids to do when they get home. I am at home to do the prep work etc. Because I can do this, we have relatively nutritious meals with real ingredients. Although we all have our days when Kraft Dinner and hot dogs are our only sane option. But, those days are few and far between.

Because I sweep the floor My kids have a clean place to play. My toddler will not be eating anything she shouldn't. And our feet will remain particle free.

By doing laundry and mending and all the other fun, yet mundane things we get to do with clothes it means my family looks clean and neat and have clothes that are weather appropriate.

When we do these ordinary things we are helping to nourish and strengthen those in our spheres of influence. Through this we are able to strengthen and nourish ourselves and those who we help can help us in return. Family life can be hectic at times but it can also be a great time to develop love and appreciation for others. To recognize and value the difference in others. To laugh together. To feel content. What an extraordinary thing it is to cultivate such feelings. And that cultivation is done through ordinary things.

We also influence things that are beyond our homes. We can help reduce pollution by doing simple things. Make and use green cleaners. Do things to become energy efficient. Reduce plastic waste by using reusable containers. Try to pack litter less lunches. Make things from scratch to reduce packaging. Consume less. Be happy with what you have and don't buy other things. We can help our waterways by using rain barrels or other water collecting devices. Have our downspouts come out in our lawns and not our driveways. Seemingly simple things yet they have an extraordinary effect.

All around us we see people who seem to have such glamourous lives. Their kids always have the cutest outfits, they look great themselves, they seem to be able to do it all, and we look at ourselves and think, "why bother trying, I can never be like them?" The thing is we are all different. We all have strengths and weaknesses. It is those differences that make it so awesome when we learn and help one another. We don't have x-ray glasses. We can't see into these people's privates thoughts and know how they really think and feel. We can only focus on ourselves and what makes us content.

What we can do is decide how we want to live our lives. What things are important to us. And we need to recognize that what seems seemingly ordinary is really extraordinary. Your life is extraordinary.