Ordinary Gratitude . . .
Ordinary Gratitude . . .
I have written before about mom’s gift for finding beauty in the ordinary experiences of everyday life. Whether it was seeing a deer grazing on the hillside near her home in Roseburg, Oregon, a hawk flying over our backyard in Huntington Beach, or finding a whole sand dollar on the shore, my mom’s enthusiastic reaction to the randomness of nature’s gifts always sent us kids running toward the sound of her voice. She never took for granted an opportunity to be in awe of the Universe’s treasures. It didn’t matter if it was her first experience or the one hundredth, her excitement was always audible.
My siblings and even our children often talk about how we inherited this enthusiasm for everyday beauty from our mom, their grandma. My nephew Dylan was telling his mom about being super excited about seeing a deer, shouting at his friends to look. He was so disappointed when they replied, “It’s just a deer.” “Can you believe that mom?” he asked, a little disgusted that this incredibly cool moment was completely lost on his friends. I can hear his grandmother’s influence in this story and it makes me smile.
There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t gaze teary eyed at some ordinary site . . . my favorite crescent moon, a succulent growing from a crack in the sidewalk, the ocean’s waves, my grandson’s jagged little overbite, and of course the soaring hawk, always the soaring hawk.
Today, and really every day, I am grateful that my mom taught me . . . taught all of us . . . to see that the ordinary was truly extraordinary and that we should never miss an opportunity to soak it up, appreciate its uniqueness, and share it with those we love.
Miss you so much mom.
xo
Bare Naked in Public 
10 Responses to “Ordinary Gratitude . . .”
That is so wonderful that the “noticing the beauty in nature gene” has passed along to all of your family.
Today when Basil and I got home I was in a hurry to make it to the post office but had to stop and ask Basil if he noticed how beautiful the light was….. 🙂
My mom is so ehh about that kind of stuff. 🙂
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Im glad you have the gene too. Maybe ftom your dad 🙂 xo
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I didn’t get it from my dad either. 🙂 The mystery gene….I am glad Basil appreciates the beauty in nature.
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Very nicely put 🙂
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You were lucky to have had each other.
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Yes we were 🙂
On Friday, November 7, 2014, Barenaked in Public wrote:
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There are no ordinary moments; no ordinary people; no ordinary lives… 😉
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I have to agree . . .
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Your thoughts about your mom are beautiful. . . Just brought tears to me eyes. You made me think of my mom and the way she always found pleasure in the smallest things always. She was such a kind lady who always took the best from life. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for reading. I love how we are all connected by our common experiences.
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