Normalizing Mundane

Funny moments, memorable quotes, big life events, the occasional rant or whine, memes... these are the sorts of things that fill our social media feeds and even phone conversations. Right? I'm always a little frustrated when I call someone up and ask them how their life has been, and they have nothing to report. You have things you can share with me! It's okay if you talk to me about the kids or the laundry or what have you! You don't have to have some magical or disastrous event to happen in order to have an excuse to talk to me! 

Something I have been thinking about this week is that I am very grateful for windows into people's mundane moments. I've had the opportunity lately to witness regular moments, or at least have them incorporated into the conversation, of "I'm doing laundry" or "I'm doing the dishes" or "I'm making dinner" or "I'm cleaning the bathroom" or "I'm going to vacuum the floors" or "I'm picking up the clutter" or "I just took a shower." And honestly it's been the best thing. I have never felt great at being a normal functioning adult. I don't have the habits or frame of mind most people seem to have. The mundane "every day tasks" fill me with a sense of apathy or dread and they do not happen every day or even sometimes in a week. It's hard for me to explain. But it's been so helpful to have a model for those things.

It also makes me realize that if I can master those things, then I have the opportunity to be that model for my own kids so that they can have a more successful adult life than I have thus far had. And that the attitude that I take with those things will also affect the attitude that my children have. Can I make doing dishes into something that is a fun, memorable moment my kids can remember, so that there are positive associations with it, and not just "the dreaded chore" ? Can I help them feel a sense of pride for their work? Can I help them feel like the every day is possible, and not just expected? And not just that, but I feel like the opportunities that come up to serve other people in those things turn into moments I can be grateful for, because once again, it becomes a model for my children. If there is one thing that I learned from my mother, it is to serve and help others. My mother has spent most of my adolescent and adult life giving a large amount of her time and energy to serve her friends. And that is definitely one of my strongest priorities. It brings me joy. And I want that for my kids. But I also want all the mundane things for my kids too.

So let's normalize the mundane. Let's normalize finding joy in it. Let's normalize including people in it. Letting the kids see it. Letting your friends help you with it. Or at least letting me help you with it 😉 Because at least for me, I am finding that helping others with the mundane, and witnessing more of the mundane, makes my own mundane feel more possible, and less out of reach. And letting your kids see people serving you? That's a good thing too. It's teaching your kids that it's okay to have help. It's okay to ask for help. And that's something I want my kids to learn too. That it's okay to include people in your mundane... that joy can come from the mundane, and not just the extraordinary. Because at least in my experience, joy often comes from moments shared together, and usually, it’s the little things.