Hi friends, talking about the Beauty in the Mundane today. Hello and a very happy weekend to you wherever you may be!

Hopefully Spring is minding its’ manners and behaving where you are, and it’s warm and sunny with blooms. Tulips would be nice. They’re my favorite. Our week actually started off cold, wet and raw around here, but thankfully the forecast improved just a smidge each day.

Thankfully, because it was getting downright dreary. I might be one of those people who needs light. I don’t know what that condition is called and I’m not gonna stop and google it now. Do enlighten me if you know. (Pun intended.) But there are people who sit under special lights in the winter because they are light deprived. And as the days are lengthening and the sunshine quotient increasing, I think I’m easier to be around. (!)

(If you’re new here, I post recipes during the week and muse on the weekends.)

I’ve been thinking a good bit about the Mundane recently. Some friends and I were chatting about the large percentage of time spent doing the Mundane tasks that need to be accomplished in life. You know, those rote repetitive responsibilities that suck up time and energy. Toilet scrubbing. Bill paying. The thankless jobs that, almost as soon as you finish them, they need repeating. It sure can be wearying.

So I compiled a list of some of the tasks I do ad infinitum either daily, weekly or monthly, in no certain order:

• wash dishes
• empty the dishwasher
• change diapers
• laundry
• dust
• vacuum
• make the bed
• scrub toilets
• haircuts for my boys
• carpool kids
• pay bills
• go through/clearing/filing the paperwork mountain on the kitchen counter
• balance the checking account
• clean the kitchen counters
• make dinner/cook
• grocery shop
• fill the car with gas
• meal plan

Phew, and now I’m tired just writing the list, rehearsing the tasks. There are certainly more I could add. And your list is different than mine. These are just the ones that came to mind first. For me, some tasks are more tiresome than others, especially the ones related to my sweet Hudson. (Hudson’s 5, my littlest of four boys. Is non-verbal, has Down syndrome.) The tasks related to Hudson can be overwhelming because little people with special needs often progress slowly developmentally, sometimes stay in the same stage for even years at a time.

Right now Hudson’s in an ardent “take apart my peanut butter and jelly sandwich stage.” First off, he wants his sandwich cut into little squares.

Yep, he’s got rules.

So every time he eats a PB & J (which is like, every day), he carefully separates each sandwich square, methodically lays it PB or J side up. No, they don’t stay that way. That would be too easy. And you know where this is going. Once he has all the game pieces set up just so, he starts eating. Some adhere to his shirt sleeve. Others land on the floor or his lap. Or the chair. Some stick to the countertop. And some, by default, arrive in his little pie hole. So when I say wiping down the kitchen counters, there’s a tad more to that story.

There’s a special person who helped me truly understand the Beauty in the Mundane. Her name is Ann, Ann Voskamp. Ann is a farmer’s wife, an author, a mother of six. Wrote the book One Thousand Gifts that deeply impacted me. In her book, among other things, she talks about cataloging the beauty all around us. Keeping a running tab of those beautiful things that sometimes enter the portholes of our eyes, but we are often blind to. The curl of an eyelash. The brilliant blue of the sky. The intricacy of the soap bubble reflection. Ann talks about a grateful heart, intentionally rehearsing gratitude for each tiny gift in life, no matter how seemingly insignificant.

“The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring fullest light to all the world.” – Ann Voskamp

“There is a way to live the big of giving thanks in all things. It is this: to give thanks in this one small thing. The moments will add up.” – Ann Voskamp

“Life-changing gratitude does not fasten to a life unless nailed through with one very specific nail at a time.” -Ann Voskamp

Reminds me of one of my all-time favorite quotes by Marcel Proust, on the header of this blog:

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

Isn’t that the truth though? We see what we choose to see. And when we choose to look expectantly with intentionality, we suddenly see those beautiful things that just moments ago were hidden.

So back to that chat with my friends. In our conversation meanderings, we came to the conclusion that every single Mundane task, is actually just hard proof of how much we’ve been blessed.

• washing dishes – food to eat on those dishes
• emptying the dishwasher – not washing and drying each dish by hand
• changing diapers – a precious little person to love on, cherish and care for
• laundry – clothes to wear (yep – that’s a relief!)
• dusting – furniture in my home
• making the bed –  a comfortable, clean place to sleep each night

• scrubbing toilets – the days of outhouses (and chamber pots) are over (rejoice!)
• carpooling kids –  my children are experiencing a life rich with opportunity
• paying bills –  we have electricity, water, food, phones etc., also the money to pay those bills
• balancing the bank accounts – enough money that it needs balancing
• making dinner – blessed with a family to feed
• washing the kitchen counters – love you Hudson, because of the precious person you are, not the PB & J mess you make
• grocery shopping – so many available choices of food and produce

Because the truth is, the Mundane itself, is just one more evidence of an overflowing and abundant life. Meanwhile, there are millions dealing with heartache, tragedy, etc. Every day their best wish would be for the mundane. It’s often only in tragedy or loss that we suddenly realize what a beautiful place the mundane was. And we long to go back.

“When we lay the soil of our hard lives open to the rain of grace and let joy penetrate our cracked and dry places, let joy soak into our broken skin and deep crevices, life grows. How can this not be the best thing for the world? For us?” – Ann Voskamp

I’m thinking about the Beauty in the Mundane for a number of reasons, but one of them is that we received heartbreaking news this past week that southern friends of ours tragically lost their daughter on Tuesday. The funeral was yesterday. My heart is so heavy for them. If only they could turn back the clock, they’d welcome the mundane with arms wide open. It really puts things into perspective.

And so my mundane becomes yet another reason for eucharisteo, thanksgiving. 

Goodbye friends, gotta go scrub toilets. Fold laundry. Wash dishes. Clean kitchen counters. (With a grateful heart.)

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The post Beauty in the Mundane appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Things are not always as they seem. In cyberspace, it’s called Virtual Reality. For instance, take this blog. I intend to share lovely pictures, recipes, ideas and true stories on Through Her Looking Glass. But what’s going on behind the scenes? (Trust me, a lot! Ha.)

What’s it like just beyond the camera lens?

Several close to me recently said, “If they only knew….”

“They”, is you! They’re talking about you. And the gist is, “if you only knew what was going on behind the scenes, it would blow your mind.”

The about page of this blog says I value authenticity. I do, and I’m guessing you do too. So I’m going to fill you in some on what goes on behind the scenes here.

Jon returned from his three week missions trip to Nepal just days before this blog launched in November. Since launch day, we’ve had two major surgeries in our family, one car wreck (totaled), a separate minor fender bender, two bouts of flu and a myriad of other smaller crises. I’ve blogged humorously about some of it. But truthfully, some chapters aren’t funny. Not a bit.

Sandwiched between the cooking, writing, researching and shutter clicks, I’m juggling a few hats. (Like you.) I’m dish washing, diaper changing, laundry folding, nose wiping, story reading, carpooling, vacuuming, cleaning and squeezing in rounds of Uncle Wiggily. I’m also wife, mom, “nurse” and friend. Lots of juggling, like most of you. And to say I juggle my roles seamlessly and effortlessly would be untrue. The learning curve is high, I’m still grasping the ebb and flow. No sent Christmas cards this year. (First time for everything.) Christmas Eve came, and unopened boxes of Christmas decorations returned to the basement. Other things slipped through the cracks.

                                                                 Photo credit: Designs by Linda Nee

By now you likely know we have boys. You might not know that our youngest, Hudson (4), has Down syndrome. It’s difficult to compress into words quite how Hudson’s arrival has affected our family. He simultaneously brings us incredible joy and overwhelming responsibility. And consequently, we’re no longer the people we were. We’re changed individually, and collectively as a family.

Volumes could be written about Hudson’s triumphs and developmental challenges, his sweet heart, what he’s taught our family, our joys and frustrations in helping him drink, walk, talk, hear and communicate. (Maybe another day.)

We all walk this tightrope between authenticity and aspiration. They go hand in hand. Authenticity without aspiration can leave us wallowing in the depths of despair. Aspiration without authenticity can be disingenuous. In posting only the lovely and beautiful here, I risk being disingenuous and leading you to believe a lie: that my life is always lovely, rosy, fun… even calm. Ha. Nothing could be further from the truth. I want to be honest here. Not in Jerry Springer fashion, but genuine. And while my life is far from perfect or even ideal, I’m committed to continue seeking and recognizing the joyful, beautiful (and funny!) moments I’ve been given in this wonderful life.

Things are not always as they seem. Virtual Reality. I think we see this reflected most today in social media. We put our best foot forward, and that can be positive. But there’s often more to the story. There’s a lot of broken out there. (And in here.) Just before Christmas, dear friends posted of their daughter’s hospitalization for depression. I admire their transparency, the earnest plea for prayers, the honesty. It was a gift to be aware of their needs, and able to support them.

I’ve often been asked why I write this blog. Maybe you’re wondering too? Why bake, cook and set up photo shoots on my kitchen counter? Why share humorous stories? Why?

For me, it’s a creative outlet. Ideas and thoughts swirl, jostling each other, crowding my remaining gray cells. This blog provides a venue (and reason) to organize my jumbled mind. It’s a place to salvage tiny bits and pieces from the chaos around me, and work towards composing something of beauty. For me, it’s like putting together a puzzle or weaving a tapestry. It’s an opportunity to finally write. I’ve always wanted to, but never pursued it or given myself permission. Until now.

Why blog? I love life! There’s much that makes my heart sing and soar. Sharing from my life experiences and learning journey brings joy. Humor is important to me. “We laugh, so we do not cry.”

Why blog? Here’s some transparency: our family needs additional income. I always thought I’d return to work earlier to help out, but Hudson’s developmental challenges and frequent illness make that impossible. Writing allows me to work from home, to be there for him and our other boys.

If you’ve wondered how bloggers earn income, wonder no more. Blogs draw readers, followers, and eventually advertisers. It’s the advertising and other writing opportunities that often provides income for bloggers. Here are several ways you can help, if you’re willing:

• If you regularly enjoy this blog, please subscribe in the side bar.
• Please visit the site and comment when you can. (Comments raise the site in internet search engines, helping others discover it more easily.)
• And lastly, if you enjoy this blog, please share it with friends and family. Sharing and “liking” through social media helps the readership grow.

Thanks to so many for your behind the scenes deep kindness and support. You are an invaluable part of this evolving journey. I sincerely hope that Through Her Looking Glass will be an oasis for you…a place to just relax and be. ( I smile to think you might even laugh at a crazy story.) So many fun stories, destinations and recipes ahead for Through Her Looking Glass in 2015. Can’t wait to share them with you. Thanks for joining me on this voyage of discovery… 

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