Taking joy in dailiness

Amidst all the chaos that comes with being a mother to small children…

(this first photo was taken by Gabriel, the rest of them are my own little snapshots of ordinary life.  A year ago Keats wanted to hug all over me constantly, now he wants to fist fight.  they grow up too fast.)

…and quite a few of them at that, it has done me so much good to try and train my mind to focus on what’s right in front of me.  The here and now.  The what is right in front of my face.  And then I try to take that one step furthur and find beauty in that “small thing.” Hence, the title of my blog.

(traditionally, my kids get new window crayons every year for Christmas, and traditionally they are all broken within a couple of days.  this year I took a picture of them before they turned into crayon bits.)

(Forgive the random dog nose photo-I realize that it is sort of unrelated.  Then again, dog noses are cute especially old dog with white whiskers noses.)

 In truth, I am still very much a work in progress.  My brain tends to always be trying to run in a dozen different directions and the practice of reigning it in and finding the joy in the present is truly a difficult task.  But it is so very possible to train your mind to find beauty in ordinariness, in dailiness if you just try. 

(Seth feeds the cats every morning, and doesn’t do a very neat job…they don’t care so neither do I)

Is it possible to find joy in, to enjoy tasks such as folding laundry, or cleaning my floors?  I think it is. Rather than think about the fact that the laundry never ends around here, I make an effort to find happiness in the simple task of sorting and folding it. 

(there are never too many egg photos.  I need to find my antique yellow wire egg basket.  that will make for a nice photo…)

Rather than let myself fret over the fact that my children track so much dirt, leaves, and grass in the house every single day I remember how much I want them to enjoy the outdoors and the benefits of leading this country life. 

(little Bea’s time on my back is near an end.  my back is having some serious problems)

Then there are the everyday activities that can so easily be done in a mindless way, such as combing my daughter’s hair, making breakfast, or giving my children their lessons.  How easy to just plow through the day, never stopping to enjoy all these little acts. 

(the first slippers we have found that she will keep on her feet for longer than a second)

Simply paying attention in a mindful way encourages me to enjoy those moments and be grateful for them, rather than letting them pass by without notice.  I don’t want to take them for granted. 

(sitting in my lap in the car after a fossil hunt.  sweet little finger.  Beatrix is such a pointer)

I will only be a mother to small children for a fraction of my life.  So, I intend to continue trying to take joy in every wonderfully ordinary moment and find beauty in the small things.

(late night knitting)
When I get the chance to sit and read or knit, I surely do not take that for granted.  Time to myself is precious too.  There is always something to be thankful for.