Some days tend to be more ordinary than others. This is not necessarily a bad thing, nor is it a good thing; it simply is the thing—the ordinary day. Even so, I do not like to mistake ordinary days for ones filled with ordinary joy and definitely not filled with ordinary love. I believe when we choose to love the people God has placed in our lives, our love is no longer ordinary. Like God’s love, our love is powerful and unconditional. It is fierce and it is abundant. Like God’s love, our love can be extraordinary.
Today was an ordinary day. A more leisurely day. I consider days like these small gifts of respite in the midst of some of our busier days, which, in and of itself makes for a more extraordinary day really because rest is something I want to do more of, for myself and for my family, including our teenagers.
And so we did not head out today as we have over the past few days. We did not have activities planned either at home or outside the house. And, honestly, it was kind of nice, nice to simply be. These are the kinds of days that allow me to catch up on things I’ve meant to get to but haven’t, and it also allows me to do a couple of extra things—like baking the chocolate chip banana muffins I’ve been thinking about and helping my girls get their hairs washed and dried.
Ever since I was a little girl I have liked having someone play with my hair, brushing it or massaging my scalp or finger combing through my curls. I find it relaxing; it’s probably why I love going to the hair salon because my favorite part is when they wash my hair. Ever since our girls were little, I have opted to be their salon specialist. In other words, I have cut and trimmed each of their hair and I tend to do the blowdrying and braiding and I always hope they find it relaxing. There is something about this shared time that has always resonated deeply with me. There is a sweet intimacy in moments like this that other moments do not necessarily have.
When I was younger, I always appreciated scenes in books and movies where a mother and daughter were sitting together in the mom’s room on a big, beautiful bed talking while the mom brushed or otherwise cared for her daughter’s hair. In my mind, it reminds me of The Sound of Music when Liesl gets caught in the rain and has to sneak into the house through the window in Maria’s room and Maria takes care of her or when Liesl asks Maria what you do when someone stops loving you and Maria takes Liesl by the hand and tells her you cry a little and then wait for the sun to come out because it always does. The conversations take on a different feel in these kinds of moments.
I love that I get to share these kinds of tender moments with my girls, helping them with their hair and spending time in an unhurried manner. I love that ordinary days provide me extraordinary moments of connection, of joy, and, of course, of love. Maybe because we have spent several weeks now with a number of busier days, I embrace quieter days like today. Days like today are the best training ground for practicing gratitude because of their slower pace and the opportunity to look around me and see the things that matter, the people that matter. And as I brushed each of my teenager’s hair, I was reminded how incredibly grateful I am for these two remarkable young women and the times like these that we get to share. Because truly they are marked by extraordinary love as well as joy.