When I was younger I used to shy away from routine and what I perceived to be a boring life. I would do anything to avoid conformity and frowned upon anything I considered to be 'establishment'. I'm a reckless, challenging person at the best of times but there was a patch in my life there where I felt out of control and I thought I loved it.
How wrong I was.
A quiet family life has brought me more happiness than I ever could have mustered as a young punk. My life is fun, funny, interesting, satisfying and rich. It's the same old me, but with a new level of maturity and an appreciation for what some people know from a much earlier age than I: being proud of your lot and content within it are two of the keys to great happiness.
So, this week I'm grateful for...
1. Mundanity - not the profanity I always expected it was. There is loud joy in quiet contentment.
2. Flowers - and the beautiful bearer of them.
3. Sparkle shoes - you make my youngest daughter dance.
So, what's making you smile today? Grab my I'm grateful for... button from my sidebar if you like, add your I'm Grateful For post below and please add a link back to me in your post. Then pop over to visit other bloggers who are spreading a little sunshine. Happy weekend to you!
[Image by thimble and violet]
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47 comments:
You...a young punk? Oooh - I'd like to see a photo of that!
Gorgeous, hon. Enjoy your weekend with your family. xxx
I so agree with you. I never, EVER thought I could find such happiness in domesticity. But I have (most days!)
Have a lovely weekend. I agree with Jodie above, punk photos, pretty please!
routine at home just allows us more space to be creative and spontaneous in other facets of our life :-)
And I love anything that makes my girls dance with joy!!
have a magical weekend
xxxCate
This makes me sigh with contentment for you. I love it. xx
This post totally resonates with me.
For many years I resisted conformity and lived a life that was a little less conventional.
Then the universe decided that enough was enough and bit me in the bot, giving me an instant family and all sorts of lovely mundanity - the type that I'd resisted for so long and now know is the real treasure.
xx Felicity
Clarification: I use the expression 'punk' to signify a wayward, non-conformist type. I wasn't ever punked up! Sorry gals. x
Have to say routine rules, only way to manage a big family & busy life happily for me. It took having a family to mould me this way!! Freedom, yes, it's for the young. Love Posie
I am a routine junkie. Even in my wayward days, I imposed a routine over my hedonism....
Ah yes, couldn't agree more! I was only thinking this evening as I was feeding, then bathing, then settling my boys... how times have changed. Friday nights have changed. Yet I couldn't be more content :o)
Oh, how I love routine! We thrive on it over here! And we definately need to see photographic evidence of your punk era!!!
So true... It was anything but routine when I was younger. Now I love it, it's like relaxing on the waves as opposed to swimming against the current.
I absolutely love all of your gratefuls - flowers, sparkly shoes, loud joy in quiet contentment - beautiful. I feel quite the same about my life at the moment. It really is in the small everyday moments that I find the most joy. I have written this quote before on my blog, but it is one that really resonates with where I am at these days....
"The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."
Sir Thomas More (1478 - 1535)
Gosh - how do you get inside my head like that!?
I could have written this...
I never felt as content as my less conforming self as I do these days...
And I love the Tommy Moore quote from Frog, Goose and Bear up there
Gill xo
I can really relate to the first paragraph...and I am coming to understand the rest of this post too in my life! Thanks for sharing grateful...it's good to be grateful! xx
Love this and can relate totally. Of course, my husband was reflecting most romantically this week about life before the toddlers. "Don't you just remember the holidays we use to have, just run off and do it? We'd read and sleep, and have an outing... it was so good."
I think he'd like a little less routine somehow!
Your flowers (and the bearer) sounds beautiful, as does the sparkly shoes! Have a wonderful weekend Bron. xx
We gave away concert tickets that we were spontaneously offered today, by a friend who forgot that we can't quite be spontaneous at night time anymore. We drank quiet beers and cheered quiet, joyful pleasures.
Yes I totally agree... from girl party girl to mommy..has been a big change..but I totally love family life and the we cant go there we dont have a sitter life... who would have thought it
well i am just like you!!! i too was a young anti-establishment punk who has come to really love her simple little life. your words are wise. i love how well you write them.
"There is loud joy in quiet contentment" That is just beautiful!!! I couldn't agree more!
so relate to this! When I was young I thought the suburban married mum life was the height of boredom. But I love it now!
That's beautiful Bron! I absolutely agree, here's cheers to mundanity, life is good! Sparkly shoes make me dance too...Have a wonderful weekend xx
I am grateful for yogi tea with cinnamon and rice milk and honey to go with it.
Aaaahh so very sweet. We love sparkle shoes in this house too x
Hurray for sparkley shoes!!
So true, give me the simple life:)
A home filled with laughter, good food, books, cleaning washing, fresh flowers and .....sparkle shoes!
You made me smile with your punk comment and correction :)Ohhhhh no photos!!!???
I agree contentement is such a feeling to treasure.
Have a great weekend XO
I so agree - mundanity is deliciously comforting, moreso the older I get. xo
Such a gorgeous post. And so true. Especially the part about the sparkly shoes. They have a similar effect on grown ups as well ;)
Is mundanity even a word? Hmmmm... Not sure I am ever grateful for that!
I love this post. It resonates with me deeply. Thank you so much for sharing.
I can really relate to your post. I too have found that there is such joy hidden in the mundane everyday things. Happy Saturday!
I take so much pleasure in the mundane -- I think that finding little everyday happinesess in the ordinary leads to far more overall happiness than big, exciting events (like weddings, vacations, etc.) How wonderful to appreciate the everyday! I never thought I'd love quiet domestic life as much as I do -- like you I once thought it seemed terribly boring. But I'm happier now than I ever was during my "tumultuous twenties." Yay for maturity!
motherhood does bring out the love of the routine doesn't it! i did used to fancy the careless and spontaneous and unpredictability of life - however i too love the mundanity and consistency that comes with life now!! it is better than what i thought too
happy dancing Badoo xx
I love a simple life with routine too ..though a few surprises lie sparkle shoes are always welcome relief.
Sparle Shoes and Flowers...LOVE
I love how we land up living an amazing life as adults. In so many cases completely different to what we imagined when we are young but a million times better. AND I love how you appreciate your life!
I am still not that great at routine, but I certainly love some of the seemingly mundane moments of adulthood.
Sparkly shoes are a big hit in my house too. Lil has started doing a little 'ta-da!' dance that is just gorgeous.
I can't agree more, as much as I loved my pre family life I adore my new mundane, suburban family life. Thanks for hosting
I agree. We stayed at home today - for the WHOLE day - Amelia was a little put out though - she is my social butterfly.
I am joining in for the first time today:)
More than a tad challenged in the workings of a blog-hop/linky/Grateful-for-post-share... I fear I may have stuffed up my maiden voyage attempt :o/ Apologies Maxabella!
Was that you with the choccie on the end, Mama of 2? I will pop over just in case... x
Thank you for stopping by my blog (I'm going to go to the cinema more too!)
Just been going through all the reasons to be cheerful link ups and plan to go through all yours later too :) I think it's nice when people can visit as many blogs as they can on this link up and see if they can make new friends.
I love your writing so much, it's so heartwarming. Your talk of your new maturity - you're so right
xx
ha ha i can relate so much. a wild art student always up for adventure, now i look forward to quiet times, cuddles and time to clean the house without a baby under one arm, and my 2 girls trying to climb up me for attention. i love my life just wish mundane came to visit a bit more often! loving your pics jane xxx
Love the way you put it - loud joy in quiet contentment. So true. Not hopping this weekend, but love your gratefuls. x
I'm with you, I had too much crazy when i was growing up.I crave 'normal' and am happiest when that's what i get.
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