JUST A NORMAL DAY?

A few days ago I was waiting for my grandchildren in the commons area of their school.  There were plenty of interesting discussions going on around me, but one in particular caught my attention.  A young dad and his preschool daughter were having a presumably typical after-school chat, which started with, "How was your day?" To which the preschooler responded--"Just a normal day."  Her dad laughed, as did I, and answered, "Just a normal day?  You can't complain about a normal day."

That made me think about what constitutes a normal day in my own life, and if I appreciate it enough.  This winter's been more difficult weather-wise because we've had 50+ days of below zero weather in Minnesota.  That bone-chilling cold became the "norm" too often, and I did complain vehemently.  Even so, I've been lucky to have a warm, cozy home to return to at the end of the day.  I don't take that for granted, no matter how routine.

A normal day for me involves a lengthy morning drive to my grandchildren's school, various errands and projects to work on, for myself as well as a friend, and a return trip to school and back home. There's often not much that's eventful, but every day is filled with interesting and delightful discussions with my grandchildren (9 & 12), and we laugh uncontrollably at times.  We're good observers of the daily life of others along the way, as well as good listeners of one another and topics on the radio.  There's a normal routine to our day, but it's never boring.  As I'm pondering my future and realizing that within a year, my life may be very different, I feel more than a little sadness.  I've been taking care of children--my own three, my grandchildren, and others for more than 41 years, in addition to working other jobs.  It's soon time to move on with my life and discover what a different kind of "normal" entails. 

   Photo by Heinrich Richter, Barntrup, Germany

Our lives are filled with normal, everyday activities, which may or may not give us reason to complain, but sometimes it's not a bad idea to check ourselves and listen to the wisdom of the young dad--"Just a normal day?  Well, you can't complain about a normal day."  After all, as Rose Kennedy once said, "Life isn't a matter of milestones, but moments."

Manhattan folks, busy with normal, everyday activities

        

Here are a few pictures of others, young and old, and those in between, doing normal things in the course of a day.