The Wonder of the Ordinary

From the book The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie:

"The extraordinary, the amazing, the phenomenon are daily glorified in the movies, the news, and on television. Our senses become bombarded. We become addicted to drama. The only things that get our attention are the big, catastrophic, knee-jerking events.

"Take a closer look at your life, your everyday world, and the people and activities in it. If it were all taken from you in one moment, what would you miss? What sights, what sounds, what smells? Would you miss the view from your kitchen window? If you were never to see that scene again, would you nostalgically reminisce about it, wishing you could see it one more time, remembering how beautiful it was, and how much that familiar sight comforted you in your daily life?

"We can easily overlook the ordinary, take it for granted. The sun rises and sets, the seasons come and go, and we forget how beautiful and sensational the familiar really is. "

12 Ordinary Gratitudes of Today

1. The feel of Elliott's soft fur against my cheek
2. Opening a mailbox filled with books and Netflix movies
3. The different sounds of my dogs walking: Elliott's clickity-clack, Lucy's hippity-hop and Silas's tippy-toes
4. My husband's voice saying Love you
5. A body that moves how and when I want it to
6. Cold milk
7. The smell of wood smoke
8. Silly voicemails from my Dad
9. My Mom's handwriting
10. The super tall pine trees in my yard and neighborhood
11. Flushing toilets
12. This beautiful planet that makes every life possible

To name just a few... What are some your ordinary gratitudes? I'd love to read them!

(Photo sunny morning by Camilla E.)

Comments

[Kelly]

Ok, I am going to go post some. This passage reminds me of a sort of epiphany I had while living in Sapporo. I was just walking through the streets of downtown at night, looking at the neon, smelling the food as I passed the open door of a noodle shop, seeing the old man selling grilled ears of corn by the subway exit. It occurred to me to pretend I was dead but was allowed to have a body again for one day. That was the first of many days I played that game in order to trick myself into seeing the miracles all around me. K

[Crafty Green Poet]

Ah the joy of finding wonder in the ordinary. Some of my favourites:

My partner
My rabbit dancing
Watching clouds
The first snowdrops
Birdsong
cherry blossom on the trees outside the window
the beautiful architecture of Edinburgh
watching the sunrise on the way to work
watching the sunset on the way home

[caroline]

What a beautiful post and photograph. Thank you for writing this. I really agree with Beattie's idea that we are bombarded with drama. Have you read a book called "It's a Wonderful Life, it Just Takes Practice"? By "practice" he means mindfulness. The author is Bo Lozoff.

Some of mine:
-seeing my cat when I come home from work
-birdsong outside my window
-crisp, clean sheets
-my first slug of French Roast in the morning

[delia*]

this aLONE makes me wanna wRAP this blog around me!

"Light candles. Unplug the phone after 6pm. Practice saying no. Take a walk alone. Limit your news intake. Pray. Swing on a swingset! Listen to mellow music. Meditate. Take a mini-retreat. Watch PBS. Color in a coloring book. Mimic your cat. Read brainfluff novels. Read Rumi. Read in a library. Read in a café. Read in bed. Ask for help. Nap in a sunbeam. Snuggle. Soak your feet. Doodle. Indulge in guilty pleasure TV. Get a massage. Stroll through a garden you don't have to weed. Make love. Burn your shoulds. Lower your standards. Accept help. Write a gratitude list. Breathe."

Onh, HOney.
Beauty.
Thank You for this+

I am a new visitor here.

[Kathryn Knoll]

What a great resource for women everywhere! Love it, love it, love it!