Grace in the Mundane

When I am out and about I often fall into conversation with strangers. My theories on this are twofold, one, I have children, which is an automatic conversation starter. Two, I seem to have the kind of face that makes people comfortable with sharing intimate details about their life. Usually this is an interesting event in my day, as speaking to any adult about anything can do wonders. Afterwards, when I think back to it, I sometimes feel like a loser. Is my life so boring that I have to speak with strangers in order to experience some spark of entertainment? All I do all day is nurse, play, clean, read, cook, clean, comfort. I do many of the same things at the same time every day for weeks on end. My life, to many outsiders is the definition of mundane, it is perceived as boring.

And yet, it isn't. I may do the same things every day, but it is the people I am doing them for that make my life interesting. The truth is, I like being a housewife. I was not pressured into it, it was a choice, my choice. It was a choice that was surprisingly easy to make. I love being there, cooking for, caring for the people I love most. My priest told me once that the work mothers do for their families is a form of prayer, a gift to their family yes, but it is also a sacrifice. My staying at home may be a gift to my family, but they are also a gift to me. Being a mother has made me softer, more patient, kinder. My children are making me a better person, there is more work to be done, but every day, as the girls grow and change, so do I. There is a certain grace in that. I am learning to live my life for others, and most of the time I am grateful, so grateful for the opportunity. I am blessed, and every day, no matter how bad my day has been I thank God I was able to experience it, to grow and change along with my children. Some may look at my life and see only the routine, the boredom, the mundane. What they are not seeing is the fact that my life is a living, breathing form of prayer, and through this I am slowly being transformed into the woman I was meant to be. That is grace.