Returning to the Mundane with Gratitude
Wrapping up a week long vacation as we return to our mundane lives can be disheartening. Leaving behind the joy-filled experiences, delicious food and casual pace may bring about a dread, like a dark cloud moving in on a sunny sky. What is at the root of this unpleasant feeling?
As I transition back into reality after a week of vacation, I find warring emotions inside myself. I knew this time of pleasure and relaxation would come to an end, but seemed to forget the sense of sadness often accompanied by the closing of one pleasant chapter and the return to a lesser appreciated aspect of life. It is a feeling as if I am losing a part of me, missing out on something beloved.
It should not be assumed that I am missing out on anything. In all reality, I am completing my holiday very full, much more than at its onset. I have a vault of wonderful memories, largely due to my dear wife's consideration and effort to plan a most perfect experience. For months she has been strategizing ways to optimize our funds as well as our time. As a result, we ate like kings (and queens), experienced all of the Disneyland attractions we desired, and moved at a leisurely pace ensuring our relaxation.
Understanding the effort of my wife, led me to desire for my contribution to be one of appreciating her more than ever in order to grow our relationship. While unsuccessful at times, we experienced growth and deeper connection. In typical fashion, I found myself in tears expressing to her how much meaning she brings to my life. While this occurred during our trip, this represents an eternal gift I return to my typical week possessing. Even as I consider how devastating life would be without my very own Disney princess, I would continue to have the gift of once having her to always cherish.
While my sadness of ceasing to experience such a high number of delicious meals and exciting thrills seems justified, it may be an illusion. I may feel resistance to returning to the mundane and challenging, but frankly, I enjoy my life and the struggles I battle give me purpose. Not only am I not losing anything, but I am not exactly entering into anything dreadful. It is a dark deception to focus on pursuing only what appears to be the most pleasurable because of how it sparkles superficially. In reality, there is so much beauty in a typical day.
I come to realize that to live as if on a constant holiday would be unproductive and abusive to others. At some point, I must cease from my rest and contribute something, take care of my responsibilities so that I am not a burden to others. Deep down inside, the times I am most productive are when I am most satisfied. While it can be tempting to desire a life of pure leisure, at a certain point, it becomes irrational to continue to take a break from nothing. Since my purpose in life is wrapped up in my position helping others, I would lack significant meaning if I did not return to the daily grind.
In fact, there is also deception in how I tend to view the mundane and typical. I have learned that I am capable of becoming ignorant of beauty, especially when I have frequent access to it. A week to gain appreciation for my dear wife is necessary when I can see her daily and lose sight of her many qualities. Then there is the beauty in random things. I tell the story of cleaning my gutters on a cold damp November day and being filled with wonder as I threw to the ground handfuls of mud and seed pods, which twirled magically through the air. Or the artistic design the ice made on my windshield that was waiting to be observed before scraped off. Such magic does not require the inspiration of Walt Disney, but the hand of our intentional Creator and the attention of a viewer like me.
When I get over my bad attitude toward the mundane, I recognize I can live in constant enjoyment. The mud was still cold, the ice needed to be carefully scraped from my windshield, but the beauty was undeniable. However, I can be aware of it without sharing in the appreciation of it. What unity I am missing out on when I fail to join with creation to sing a song of gratitude for the wonders of life, past, present and inevitably in the future. Would you join with me to marvel at the big and the small wonders of life?
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