Ordinary Life, Noticed
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Ordinary Life, Noticed | What We Inherit Without Paperwork
I have inherited things that will never appear in a will. I have inherited phrases, habits, stories, and ways of doing or thinking about things. I have probably inherited a few behaviors I would happily return to the original owner. That’s inheritance too. Today’s word is Legacy, and usually when we talk about legacy, we… Continue reading
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Ordinary Life, Noticed | The Thousand Little Ways We Say, “I’m Still Here”
There are things we do so often that eventually nobody notices we’re doing them. We feed the dogs, make the coffee, check on someone, fill the feeders, or pick something up from the store. We send the message, make the appointment, and ask whether someone ate, arrived home safely, or needs anything. None of it… Continue reading
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Ordinary Life, Noticed | The Stories Attached to Everything
Our house would probably be very confusing to someone who didn’t know us. There are things that make perfect sense to us because we know the story. We know why something is where it is, why something was changed, and why something else was never changed. We know which spot belongs to each dog, where… Continue reading
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Ordinary Life, Noticed | Because They Were Part of How Ordinary Felt
Most companionship isn’t particularly exciting. I think that’s part of what makes it so important. It is easy to recognize the people who show up for the big things. They are there for weddings, births, funerals, hospital stays, celebrations, and crises. Those moments matter. But most of our lives happen between those moments, and companionship… Continue reading
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Ordinary Life, Noticed | When “I’m Still Here” Is the Accomplishment
November can make the world look like it has stopped trying. The trees are mostly bare. The growing has ended, and the flowers are gone. The birds aren’t nearly as busy. Some of the wildlife that became part of my daily routine has become less predictable. If I judged the landscape only by what I… Continue reading
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Ordinary Life, Noticed | Leaving One Space Unfilled
I am beginning to realize there is a difference between being still and resting. I can rest while watching television, scrolling through my phone, reading something, talking to someone, or working from my chair. My body may not be moving much, but my mind certainly is. Stillness is different. Stillness is when there isn’t anything… Continue reading
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Ordinary Life, Noticed | Standing Beside Pain with Empty Hands
There are situations where I know exactly what to do. Someone needs information, and I can find it. Something needs to be organized, so give me the pieces. There’s a problem with a possible solution, so let’s figure it out. Doing something feels good because it gives us somewhere to put our concern. The harder… Continue reading
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Ordinary Life, Noticed | The Life I Was Already Living
If someone asked me what I am grateful for, I could give the expected answers. Family. Home. People I love. The big things. The important things. And I would mean every one of them. But I’ve started wondering whether gratitude lives just as much in things we wouldn’t think to put on a list. The… Continue reading
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Ordinary Life, Noticed | What Remembering Asks of Us
The trees are getting bare. Not completely. There are still leaves holding on here and there. But enough have fallen that I can see things I couldn’t see a few months ago. Branches. Nests. Openings through the trees. Pieces of the landscape that summer kept hidden. It’s strange to look at a nearly bare tree… Continue reading
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Ordinary Life, Noticed | Human Hearts Aren’t Trees
Thank you, October. You arrived asking me what I was ready to release. That seemed like a simple enough question. Thirty-one days later, I have considerably more questions. Which, I suppose, means I was paying attention. This month began with leaves just starting to fall. One here. Another there. The landscape still carrying plenty of… Continue reading