24 Days of Thanksgiving - Day Five

Sometimes, I think, we forget how blissfully happy "normal" life can be. I know I do. We may even feel bored, or frustrated that our lives aren't more exciting. The everyday pleasures we experience on a regular basis begin to feel repetitive, tedious.

Then, something will happen! We'll get wrapped up in a project, or some unexpected happenstance will throw us off of our usual schedule, or life will just get kooky for some reason.

Sometimes such things are a welcome diversion. But, the longer they go on, the more we'll find ourselves wishing life would just go back to "normal."

At least, that's what my experiences have taught me.

As I mentioned in my last post, my friend Juleigh and I have been working on a charity garage sale. I've been helping with the planning, advertising, and all the other minor details for the past couple of weeks. This week, the week of the garage sale, Juleigh's grandfather-in-law died and the majority of the responsibility got shifted to me. And it's been tough. Worthwhile, yes, but also tough.

As each day passed, and I spent my time baking treats, organizing donations, making posters, harassing people about helping out, putting ads for the sale on Craigslist, and doing everything else involved in putting together a garage sale, I found myself looking forward to the whole thing being done with. My laundry has been piling up, my dishes are mostly unwashed, my house is a wreck, and I've barely had a minute to rest. More and more I've been longing to get back to my usual routine.

Let's be honest - normal life is the best! There's something comforting about the familiar. Life is just less stressful when you have a routine. Even the sometimes-tedious chores and errands that come with everyday life can be relaxing.

In my opinion, there's something soothing about strolling through a grocery store, hunting down the items on your list. There's something satisfying about rinsing dishes and sticking them in a dishwasher. There's something about folding laundry into neat little piles that just kind of makes you feel good. And then, of course, let's not forget the time we spend with our families every day: reading stories, playing games, sharing meals together.

I've really missed all of that this past week.

I'm grateful for my life. I'm grateful for the little things. I'm grateful that I don't lead a life of chaos and constant surprises. My life is a good one, and even though I may complain about it from time to time, I find a massive amount of satisfaction in it. And I know that, whatever happens, I'll always be happy to go back to that blissfully slow-paced life after each unexpected adventure ends.

To sum up: I'm grateful that my garage sale adventure is over, and my normal life can resume.

Hello, life! I've missed you! :)