"The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things."

(Copy and Paste)

Does that ever happen to you? You mop the kitchen and would love for the shine to last for more than just an hour. You vacuum the living room, and want to rope it off so no one can mess it up again. You buy groceries, and would love for your pantry to stay stocked for more than a day. But, of course, it never lasts. The kids run through the kitchen with mud on their feet. Movie and a popcorn leave kernels all over the living room floor. And all of the groceries? Gone, before you can turn around.

But that's what life is all about, isn't it? It's a process, not a product. There's no joy in letting things remain static. The image is just an illusion. Groceries were not meant to line shelves. Floor were not meant to stay clean. Life is messy, and if you're not getting messy, then you're not really living. You buy groceries and you eat them. You clean up, you mess up, you clean up again. If the kids get their clothes muddy, then they're doing their job. If the front yard can't grow grass for all of the playing that goes on there, then it's doing it's job. It's not about looking good. It's about living life.Don't get frustrated because you seem to be doing the same, monotonous jobs over and over again. The boredom only creeps in when you don't realize the value of what you are doing. 

Moms understand this. There is spiritual worth in mopping a floor, because in doing so, we are contributing to something much greater than ourselves. We are a part of a process that is ageless and holy. Every time we stock the fridge or fold the laundry or change a diaper, we are doing so with the expectation of doing it again and again. It's like a series of bricks that we are laying to build a firm foundation for our children and our homes. In every action and in every reaction, we are creating something huge, something great that will last beyond our own lives. The activities that we do as moms, day in and day out, are meant to be impermanent. But what they are building will last forever.