Birthdays beg reflection.
I could contemplate this year’s milestone … but why do we emphasize arbitrary dates as moments to measure ourselves against? There are other moments in life that are just as indelible, moments etched into our memories.
One such memory for me is a simple walk across the street. I was a 20-year-old student at the University of Illinois, and it was a sunny afternoon. As I crossed a street I felt the warm sun on my face, I smiled and told myself, “This is a moment to remember forever.”
But it could be any ordinary moment, on any ordinary day. Perhaps a warm cup of coffee on my mother’s front porch. A long evening spent doing laundry. A late-night walk with the dog.
This collection of my ordinary milestones matter. They show that we can find meaning in mundane chores or everyday actions. Our milestones do not have to mark only those extreme moments of sorrow or joy.
When life seems to draw me off my path and I cannot find my way, I don’t try to recall the big moments in life. It’s those ordinary moments that surface in my mind as the moments to aim for. Celebrating our everyday moments, we realize they hold extraordinary value. They show we are living the life we choose. What more could a person ask for?
I’m Elsa Glover, and that’s my perspective.
