G.K. Chesterton wrote:
Unless we can bring men back to enjoying daily life which we moderns call a dull life, our whole civilisation will be in ruins in about 15 years.... Unless we can make daybreak and daily bread and the creative secrets of labor interesting in themselves, there will fall on all our civilisation a fatigue which is the one disease from which civilisations do not recover.
And it is as true today as when the masterful Chesterton wrote. I've made a list of daily things that I enjoy doing or admire in the example of others:
- reading poetry
- the silent diligence of working in the garden
- a sacrifice made for someone who will never say thank you or even know what you've done
- sitting down to dinner and having no reason at all to hurry
- admiring a friend's quilt and forgetting to feel any envy at all
- a little girl in a summer dress, barefoot
- clothes on the clothesline, some of them handmade
- patching a hole in the wall and having it turn out pretty well
- the smell of green apple dish detergent and clean, hot dishes
- giving away something that you need to someone who needs it more
4 comments:
Amen.
Indeed, Mary, I thrive in a 'dull' life.
Rather, what I term a 'quiet' life.
Even those things which are romanticised with somewhat more difficulty.
Like coming home to a messy house and 'quietly', slowly restoring it to the order which will be utterly disrupted in a few short hours.
Or daily making rounds and maintaing that order.
Or timing things around appointments.
And, finally, not only feeling the dull aches of a dull day, but actually, somehow, through the working of Grace, 'embracing' them and thereby finding that strange, hidden happiness contained in them.
'Making up for that which is lacking...'
One little portion of our daily bread.
All for Thee, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Beautiful, Mary!
I have just passed on this lovely "tidbit" to my two sons, who were
lacking inspiration and feeling rather "dull" themselves. After reading your post, the younger quickly headed to the woods to pick a few blackberries for breakfast tomorrow. How quickly he was able to
respond to the beauty of the "everyday"...thank you for providing the inspiration!
Thanks a lot Mary. Now I am reminded of how futile any hope for serenity and peace will be for the next 18-35 years. Thanks a lot.
PGR
You've given me a good reminder to slow down (if I can, because visitors are coming this evening!)
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