Yesterday was my birthday. I have now lived seventy-two years; where did all those years go? I had a wonderful 72nd birthday, shared with family and friends who made it a very special day. I will cherish the memories of the day. However, in the whole scheme of things, it was an “ordinary” day.

As is my habit each year, I spent time pondering the seasons of my life. I recalled the many happy times and the troubled times. I thought about the times of success and failure, joy and sorrow, life and death; times that left their mark on my life, that shaped the person I am at this ripe old age of seventy-two.

In my pondering, I realized that most days, most seasons, were simply “ordinary”. Like most people I have lived a day-to-day life of tears, laughter, expectation, anticipation, frustration…. I thought about the warmth of a morning kiss from my husband, the pure joy of a hug from my daughters or a grandchild, the fun of a lively conversation with my sister, the comfort found from having a cup of coffee with a friend. I remembered how safe I felt watching my daddy at the kitchen table in the early morning hours, scribbling his thoughts on a piece of scrap paper, and my mama in her kitchen, whistling as she went about her work.

Yes, ordinary days in a mostly ordinary life. Uneventful events. But, do you know what? When all is said and done, aren’t our “ordinary” days the ones that matter most? Are they not the “events” that elicit our deepest emotion – the things that, once recalled, make us smile the biggest smiles or, sometimes bring the hottest tears? Isn’t it the ordinary days that give us our life perspective? Aren’t our ordinary days the ones that help us get through the “extraordinary” days? I think so.

Thank you God for ordinary days.