The elusive/illusive normal:

I had four assignments to finish and hand in for school this week, so this morning found me making last-minute adjustments to the final two. Printing, editing, scribbling with a red pen, tweaking stuff; you know how it goes. By midday, they were done and emailed. I had a bunch of errands to run, so I changed out of my lounging/editing clothes and tried to work some level of appropriateness into my hair before joining my mum and little brother for the quick drive to the mall. There, I tried on a variety of clothes in an attempt to use a gift voucher before it expired (success -- I hope. Things invariably look different once you put them on, at home, a few days later). The three of us ate lunch in our small-town excuse for a food court before heading out in search of various groceries (them) and some last-minute gift additions (me) for a birthday package to be posted tomorrow. Back at home, I had half an hour to do a quick pick-up of the house (a few days of under-the-weather and things looked partway to topsy turvy) before my music student arrived.

Tidying done, I was brushing my teeth and attempting not to look dog-tired when I started thinking about the rushed (but-not-frantic-really) pace of the day, how I always seem to be handing my assignments in the day they are due (and never a week or two early, as in my happiest dreams), how I was tidying things because a student was coming and not because I'd actually made a space in my day for doing that -- and I thought, it would've been different if this week was normal.

Of course, it struck me immediately like a smug little tweak of the nose: THIS IS NORMAL, DANIELLE. Whatever a day throws at you, whatever life requires, is your normal. You just have to take what comes and make the most of it.

Following that line of reasoning reminded me that shopping doesn't disrupt a 'normal' day; it becomes part of the normal day. Handing assignments in early doesn't matter. Getting them done and done to the best of my abilities by the deadline is all that's required. And who cares why the house gets tidied? -- just make sure it does get tidied. This is life, Danielle. Live it.

(and it makes me laugh that just last night I asked my mother, How can we learn to live in the moment?)

* * * * *

Conversations:

Jessica -- ha! I relate to this line of thinking.

Bethany -- absolutely! (although today does feel like Winter all over again!).