Photo: Andrian Valeanu
What a miracle that you are here! Wonder of wonders! Wow.
Truly! Reflect on all that it took for you to be here in this moment: the Earth being the perfect distance from the sun to support life, billions of years of evolution, your ancestors surviving long enough to bring forth the next generation, your parents meeting, the accidents that didn’t happen, the serendipitous occasions that did…
Practice:
In the coming week, upon waking say to yourself silently or aloud, “Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, savor you, bless you before you depart.” Observe how saying this makes you feel in your body, noticing any sensations or emotions that arise. Through your waking hours, gently carry the intention to appreciate the day–in all its extraordinary ordinariness–repeating any part or version of the prayer above as often as you feel moved.
How does beginning your day with the intention of treasuring it impact you?
What can you allow yourself to savor about the gift of simply being alive today?
Should you be inspired, please leave a reflection below…
This practice is inspired by Mary Jean Irion’s sublime meditation A Normal Day. Explore the full seven-day A Normal Day practice.
Here I am at the end of the day reading reflections of a normal day. I was touched by every one that I read. So was today a normal day? I learned early this morning that someone was found dead about a quarter of a mile from my home. He was struck by a hit and run driver last night and I couldn’t help but wonder how I slept with an injured or already dead man so close with no knowledge. It has rained for days, flooding in many areas. What was this man doing out in the rain? Why did the driver who hit him not stop and check on him? Was he killed instantly or did he lay beside the road miserably wet and hurting? Is the driver suffering because s/he feels such remorse for leaving the person? My daughter who is bipolar quit all of her meds and has hit the depths of drug withdrawal and depression. I went to a twelve step program for people who have loved ones who are addicted. There were newcomer parents who cried through the meeting. But it was a normal day. At any place on this beautiful earth spinning in this glorious universe, someone has died, is dying or will die. Someone is struggling with addiction or losing a loved one, or suffering as many on this list have written. And yet we still love, still hope, still know that even though it has rained for so many days, there will be sun shining again or is shining in another place. There will be babies born, some to addicts, some to “normal” families, some into kingdoms. People will die tragically, peacefully, at a young age or old or in between. This happens every normal day. Winter ends, new life begins, the peach trees are budding out in a pink-purple haze for acres and acres. Babies, puppies, kittens, teach us to love on this normal day. We love, we grieve, we hope, we question, we learn, we overcome, we glimpse joy and beauty on this awful, wonderful, normal day.
Living with a loved one who’s living with Alzheimers taught me, that there’s nothing like a “normal” day – I learned to be aware of a meditative moment when brushing my teeth in the morning, I learned to cherish a tiny smile, a gentle touch, a sudden light in his eyes or even a whispered word. Every now and then we get an unexpected helping hand, a little child, that smiles at him and gives him an understanding hug, and he’s beaming with joy – and I’m in tears with joy! There’s no “normal” day for me, still I’m grateful for each and every moment.
Morning’s Measure
Awaken to first thoughts
Lay the carpenter’s square
Make your mark
Be it bold
Or light of hand
Behold the magic
You have drawn
Building gratefulness
Every day sounds now restored. No more choking smoke and roaring fires. Birds now can speak. Every day sounds restored. Not dead but bursting back to life
Incredibly full and grateful for the simplest of things.
“Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, savor you, bless you before you depart.”
At the end of the day-reflecting on the meditation, A Normal Day, and the earthiness of a normal day: the earthiness that is the ground from which we commence our day, the ground from which we receive nourishment, nurturing, shelter, centering and stability, that which holds together, structures, contains, holds, provides a place to rest, to stand, to plant seeds, to harvest… so much abundance within the earthiness of this normal day.
This day. This breath upon awakening. This new Sun filling these new eyes. Could not be normal if all the unpowers that unbe ‘used’ all their supposed power and wealth to determine it was so; upon All’s pain of death. To elucidate, a twig of the poetree 🙂
normal?
I don’t suffer, or, suffer from,
Euro-centrism, northern malaise,
Nor, academia, a blood disease.
If I weren’t me, an evolutionary leader named reality, I might prayer every moment of everyday for a day that is normal; yet, then one might retort, ‘normal for you’- and the answer would be the same. Yet, I, as life evolving must and try to adapt to reality, not the man-made machine worldly world; awaken as life born anew- as, before I was born, I agreed to. Yes, dying to the life in order to be born again; eyes, breath, aliveness, spirit’s flight of delight, awakening new day- may we be this day what it is to be this day. Finally, another twig of poetree elucidates 🙂
not just plumb, aplomb, true, heartening, you
San frontieres, a twig of poetree,
topological, roots and wings,
once more to the breach,
dancing betwixt ears, ungestured, bays,
I’d be as a mayfly, only alive a day,
rather than as long as an eagle flies, not whying.
Fathoming delves ley lines realizing increasing
wingspan, height of flight, intensity of sunlight.
Thanx for all you do; have a great day 🙂 reality
There is more awareness in what I do, and sometimes it is only a fleeting glimpse that holds me there, only to be savoured in my memory later. Like seeing a sunrise, its moving and changing colors.
The cuddle-huddle with my dogs at dawn. The silly-soft kitty who just wants to be held, more than fed. Little hearts held open for me, every day. The fresh winter air. The fresh hope of all the children and parents and grandparents in the library today. The generous shower of Valentine’s gifts. The open-heartedness this shows and celebrates. And reminds. Hearts need to break — open every day.
Reading everyone’s thoughtful reflections is a treasure on this normal day. Thank-you to all for your sharing! ?
I signed up for this practice because for ten years now–since my mother died–I’ve had her little plaque with the “Normal Day” quote on it hanging in my kitchen. Right now I’m happy to have the Normal Birds coming to the bird feeder outside my study window, and to have a sink full of Normal Dishes that need to be washed!
I appreciate the suggestion to notice how saying this first thing in the morning feels in my body. I plan to focus especially on my heart and tune in to my aliveness, but also to feel into any blocks or “yeah buts” -in my body-not my head.
What a great way to begin my day with this mantra. Good news to hold each day as opportunity, possibility and yes, NORMAL……THANKS!
This puts me in mind of Maya Angelou “Today is a wonderful day, I’ve never see this one before”, which I regularly say first thing. Well, after I’ve said good morning to God & thanks for this day.
I shall be adding “normal” and expressing gratitude for this wonderful normal day.
Welcome, normal day with your treasure of life. Pour out on me your warmth, joy, comfort and caring to share all day long. Thanks for your beginning and ending, and coming again.