I remember when my kiddos were little and days and days would go by feeling like I was in the movie, Groundhog’s Day, wearing the same clothes, doing the same thing.  (WAIT!  I was wearing the same clothes– sweat pants, baggy tshirts and probably smelling a bit.)  But it was in those days of being in motherhood’s trenches that I decided to help myself find some meaning in the monotony and never ending chaos.  

Each day, or as best as I could, I would capture one moment in a brief sentence or two, maybe a bullet list. I had entries like:

• “Today a tiny bird sat on our window ledge seeing his reflection wondering why he couldn’t come in…”
• “This afternoon Mirabelle laid in the grass, flat on her back, for over an hour just gazing at the clouds…” (the photo for this blog is from this day)
• “I parked my kids in front of the television and played Smoothie Moves on Webkinz for much longer than I want to admit.”  

Chronicling the mundane gave meaning to the craziness.  Each moment recorded is now a visual picture in my memory.  It helps me see the story of my life and find joy in the ordinary and simple.  It helps me process the journeys of pain I have endured.

We (me included!) run around busy, busy, late, late and overwhelmed.  Life can fly by and, if we are not careful, be remembered only by the monumental moments– holidays, vacations, birthdays.  

I want my life to have meaning,

Every day has a gem to offer.  Maybe the day’s gem is capturing a sunset or maybe it’s getting a stinky toilet back to clean, but no matter what, every day above dirt is a gift to be grateful for– and an even better day if you are healthy and get to feel moments of joy and peace, even if fleeting.  

Even now as my kids are older, I still strive to take a few moments each evening to record what mattered, what I am grateful for, and how my day filled up with life.  And every so often I look back to reflect on the journey taken so far.

“Life has a peculiar feel when you look back on it that it doesn’t have when you’re actually living it.” Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

If you had to document one thing that happened so far today that brings you joy, what would it be?  Mine would be right now…. Sitting here with you, enjoying a cup of coffee, gazing out the window at the changing fall colors.  I am gonna pause and take a mental snapshot.  

Share yours…