Cursing the Mundane

Photo Credit: Aubrey Stout

Why do we get caught up in the mundane, cursing its very existence? Cursing at the guy that cut us off at the intersection, yelling at the weather being unlike how we think it should, feeling bulldozed by our boss, murmuring that things never go our way. As a mom I curse the mundane too― of bowls left on the kitchen table, laundry building on the bathroom floor, and toothpaste splatters on the mirror. We let it all anger us and we shake our fists and roll our eyes and say, that's not fair! Why do I even bother?!

We curse the mundane, because it’s the mundane that can be taken away. It’s why we fear illness and death. It's why I sometimes dread the thought of my children growing up. It’s what my friend is mourning right now as she prepares to say her goodbyes to her family. The mundane is what we live for. Isn't it? 

Somehow we get stuck on our thoughts of life not being fair and the beauty of it all fades. I was reminded that it-just-is. It just is a fact that life isn't fair. My 7 year old daughter articulated it so well when she said, we live in an imperfect world. That was her answer to me when she was upset about something not being fair in her world. I stopped dead in my tracks. When we curse the mundane, really what we're saying is, that isn't fair! Yet, certainly if my 7 year old can grasp this concept, so can we adults, right?!

So that leaves us with the question, why try?  Life is going to challenge us, pull us in a million different directions and even be cruel. Things are not always going to work out the way we want or think they should. However, when we find ourselves stuck cursing the mundane, maybe we should try honoring it. What would that look and feel like? What would happen to the question, why try? If life isn't fair, then why do we act like it should be?

Honoring the mundane doesn't have to be all rainbows and butterflies. I do think we could try a little harder sometimes to see things differently. Often the mundane grips me and before I even think, I react, cursing it. But what if we flip it on its head, challenge ourselves and quit acting like life is supposed to give us some kind of special treatment? I already know life isn't fair, but do we really want to give up the trying part? I hope it's a resounding, NO! God put a little light inside of us, and all He wants to do is let it shine {did your mind automatically sing, this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine? haha! woops!☺}.

Sometimes we have to be reminded that the mundane can be taken away. A girl I grew up with died while we were in high school. My step-mom and I went to bring a card and give our well wishes to her mom and I distinctly remember what she said. She said, I'm grateful God gave me her for 18 years. And while I'm certain she did ask why and was often times wrought with grief, she honored the 18 mundane years she had with her daughter, in a profound way, that never left me. She probably didn't even know she shined a light on how to honor the mundane. What if she would have used those brief moments we we there to curse it? I'm grateful she chose not to.