Those Everyday Moments

It was late afternoon, there was fresh Banana Bread not long out of the oven {I constantly seem to be baking banana bread, one because we always end up with a couple of rogue over-ripe bananas, and two because whenever I make a loaf it gets eaten in five minutes flat}, I was starting to prep dinner, I’d just re-stocked us up with a couple of litres of Oat Milk, the fairy lights were twinkling in the kitchen, the radio singing my favourite songs, and there were sounds of life all around the house.

It’s easy to get sucked into the repetitiveness of domestic chores, there is always laundry to be done, and meals to be made, the floors constantly need sweeping and I can’t remember the last time I dusted. As a Mama, with kiddos who are at home 99% of the time, as well as having my own work to do, the to-do list can seem never-ending. Some days I get stuck resenting those things I ‘have’ to do, letting myself get stressed out about trying to keep on top of it, or the time it takes away from other things.

Yet when I stop and think about it, these little everyday moments are the glue that hold life together. These are the moments that everything else is hung upon. A home that is full of warmth and life, love and laughter, kiddos giggling, the smells of food cooking, conversations and games taking place all around me. In these moments I can enjoy it for what it is – find gratitude that I have the time and resources to bake homemade cakes, to put homecooked meals on the table every evening, that I get to have a house full of kiddos and all that brings with it.

Yes, it can be tiring, it can be patience testing, it can be frustrating, it can be never-ending. Yet at the same time, it can be fulfilling, rewarding, love-inducing, and family building. I’m learning to see the beauty in the simplicity of the everyday. Find joy in making food for my kiddos, in having a warm if messy house, as that is a sign that life is being lived. As much as I love the adventures, the days out, the fun events, I love the moments in between, the little things that build up a life, the daily requirements of being a Mama.

In those tasks that are required of us every day, the ones that can be draining and seem thankless sometimes, it’s not too hard to find a way to make them joyful. Involve the kiddos when you are baking or cooking dinner, make it a time of connection and story-telling. Turn the radio up loud and sing along whilst you’re washing the dishes. Make hanging the laundry out into ten minutes of meditative peace for yourself. Instead of complaining about the never-ending-ness of Motherhood, instead, give thanks that you have family to care for, you have a house to keep, you have food to cook and clothes to wash ♥