What’s the air like wherever you are?

Do you ever travel? We aren’t big travelers– not because we don’t enjoy (some forms of) it, but because it isn’t something we prioritize in our budget, and honestly, it isn’t always easy or fun to load four kids up to take them on the road. And fancier forms of travel are out of the question barring a bucket list trip, as neither my husband nor I enjoy flying, and have you seen the Dateline episodes (yes, plural!) on cruise “incidents?!” I’m only semi-serious, as we do plan to travel some in the next few years. And in complete seriousness, I am also a pretty hardcore homebody.

Also in complete seriousness, one of my favorite elements of travel is the newness everything holds– people who live in these towns/regions surely find their day to day surroundings normal, just as we do- but when I’m somewhere for the first time, even the tiniest little remote town…there’s always a story there, even if only in my imagination. Anyone else? The sights, smells, restaurant options or lack thereof, the nature around (which is a pretty large prerequisite for our family)…man, I just love it.

Almost exactly a year ago, I started a little project. Writing haikus about whatever happened whatever day I had time to write a haiku. Some days I wrote zero, some days I wrote three. Some of those little haikus I intend to hold for myself alone, but what was so lovely about this little project (one I’m not abandoning yet), is that it gave each day, each little incident or story, it’s own local flavor. The fresh air of that encounter, the rough feel of that bad day, the shimmer of the unexpected moment, whatever. Like travel. But right there in my own life, every day. Well, technically just some days. Not because the freshness, the newness wasn’t there, but because I just didn’t see it some days…things just felt normal some days, in those places I live every single day. But with intention, I journeyed a little bit outside of the normal, even in those normal moments.

I’ll share a few– (with explanations in parentheses just because)

3.19.19… (when you’re a mom and it’s lovely and insanity at one time)
groceries in car
puppies chase my laughing kids
bedtime crying time

4.8.19…(when you paint your brick house)
white splatter red gone
old behind new peeking through
microscopic flaws

8.16.19…(when the things are too much and procrastination wins)
Clutter calls to us
Clean up clean up clean up now
Tv for two hours

11.12.19…(when you ask the Lord something He answers via the book you’re reading aloud to your kids and also then you drip snot everywhere)
I asked you to show
What your love for me looks like
you answered that day

1.21.20…(when you’re a mom. or a nurse. or a teacher)
I can hold my pee
Longer than anyone else
A contest I’d win

We travel every day. We just don’t see it every day. How do you pause to be mindful of your day?
©️2020 Alisha H. Cary