Three loads of laundry, a trip to the grocery store, reheating leftovers for lunch. Vacuuming. Getting dressed, brushing teeth, making beds. Vacuuming. Making it to a toilet in time. Cutting our own chicken. Vacuuming.
Chores, household duties and basic responsibilities are not what gets in the way of life, but they’re where life happens. Somewhere, someone (probably Pinterest) told us that if we have it together, these things occupy the peripheral regions of life but the in the focal point lies vacations, promotions and that day you hit the lottery. A fox snuck into the hole and said, “get it together, get the house clean and then you can come out and play! That’s where you’ll make memories with your kids. That’s where they learn and grow.”
Liar.
We can allow some imaginary standard to weigh heavy on our shoulders as we think about what it takes to keep a house running. Or we can decide to live each day, drudgery included, knowing that today is the stuff of life. We’re not merely filling hours until the next Main Event. Each day is the main event, when we choose to see it that way.
Living from highlight to highlight misses the point of life. Sure, it can be tougher to grin and bear it when the kids are whiny and dinner tastes subpar. Survival mode might be necessary in the first trimester or during finals week. But even “making it” allows moments to transform into memories with your eyes wide open to it.
