Common Miracles, Week #15: Back to school rhythms

 “Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.”
–Pema Chodron

have remarked on many occasions, the past few days, how quickly the summer has gone. Over and over, I have heard myself say it, looking for affirmation from whomever I'm currently visiting with that, "Yes, this summer really did go by quickly!"

Yet as sad as I am to see the summer vanish, with it's looser schedules and sleeping in (well, for the boy...) and (a few) quiet afternoons (and yes, piles of yard work), I am also really excited for fall. Autumn always fills me with so much energy and joy, a real renewing in my brain... another fresh start for me, too, as Seth starts another year of school.

As Seth begins new rhythms, I too have high hopes of turning my energy of the summer away from the yard and back to the house, and my office and craft spaces specifically.

I roughed out a schedule for myself today, and was horrified by how quickly the hours of the day fly by when you put them down on paper and assign a task to them, whether that task is actual paying work, or volunteering; calligraphy or exercise or devotional time. It all seems to fly away on the wind. I feel infinitely blessed to be able to currently set my own schedule, and if I miss the opportunity to live out my days productively, I will truly have only myself to blame. 

 erma

This year the boy trots off to a new school... high school. As I attended the parent orientation today and saw all the familiar faces of our particular slice of this small town assembled to send their kids off to begin their high school experience, I couldn't help but be grateful for the ordinariness of it all. These are just parents, like me, sending kids, like Seth, off to learn and grow and become responsible young adults. There is something very comforting in that, to me. (This does not, however, mean that I don't believe my boy is the most special of the lot, for sure!)

As we both enter into the next season, the Common Miracle takeaway for me is the beauty in the rhythms, the routines. The mundane aspects of our mornings and our afternoons, the rituals of homework and trumpet practice, the joy in our amazing gift of time together. What's not to celebrate in that?

And in my own time, to make the most, the very best, of that time and find rhythms that work for me and bring meaning to my days. I'm pretty excited. I have some new comp pads that husband found on the school supply sale table, a couple of new calligraphy pens all set and ready to go, my current craft projects are completed and a new slate of projects is ready to take their place... and too, some work projects beckon and a few volunteer ones as well. All aspects of my brain--right AND left!--will get some muscle flex this fall. Excellent!

Common Miracles began in May 2011 over at gingerblue. If you'd like to know more about it, or join in, go here.