Little girls with mothers who are teachers-of-life grow up to be women who observe, taste, admire, explore, and appreciate. Ramona had a daughter she named Diane. She sacrificed beyond measure for that little girl, protected her, taught her, healed her wounds, fed her home grown tomatoes, and shared her voice and laughter over the decades. Ramona’s daughter knows and has an abiding gratitude for the ordinary. Ramona made the ordinary come alive.
Make the Ordinary Come Alive
Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but is is a way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples and pears.
Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.
— Jason Elsom
May each of you have the most extraordinary week ahead filled with the wonders of the ordinary that comes alive just for you!
This post makes me think of the artist Mary Pratt. One of her best early works is of a dinner table at the end of a meal. It is a jumble of plates, glasses and cutlery. I think there is even a ketchup bottle. Mary Pratt’s work is often described, with subtle negative connotations, as depicting every day “domestic” subjects. Men have painted bowls of fruit and flowers for ages, but when a woman uses the same subject matter, it is seen as ordinary and less worthy of consideration. Mary Pratt was quite an interesting character. Emily Carr was another fascinating woman. I keep meaning to read some of her writing.
such a beautiful combination of photos and words
it’s always a joy for me to hear people speak fondly and respectfully of their parents