The strange, the ordinary, and the divine

One of the perks of living in Australia is having strange and unusual friends…

Today is Mothers Day. Well, for me it is anyway. Since Ryan was was still overseas last weekend he decided to wake me up with a beautiful breakfast and a thoughtful pressie this morning. I was okay with that.

And then we went to visit some of our friends at the billabong down the road.

At times Levi couldn’t be bothered. After all, there were sticks everywhere to play with…

 

…and what fun are koalas when they just sit there in trees looking cute? (Boring mom!)

Birds on the other hand… birds are on the move and fast and fascinating.

 

And of course the “dogs” are awesome. And these “dogs” even have really long tails and huge, funny feet. Oh, and they bounce around a lot… in between their lazy episodes of sunbathing. (Weird, but cool mom!)

 

 

Isn’t it strange how becoming a mom changes things? Like how a great day for me is now one where I see my family enjoying themselves. Soaking in the warm sun. Glimpsing blue sky between the rustling gum trees. Minutes morphing into hours while chasing ducks, picking up sticks, and seeing life through the eyes of a very, very small and curious person.

Because to a very, very small and curious person… the world looks large and grande and full and… friendly. And I really like seeing it that way.

 

Through those eyes scary things don’t look threatening… they just look amazing. (Even more amazing than on the pages of our storybooks.) And I like seeing it that way, too.

 

I reckon that sun on your back, dust on your feet, and a child on your shoulders (or in your belly) just make the world feel a little bit more right.

 

But of course kids will be kids… and even on a made-up Mothers Day they still don’t “pose” for photos.

 

But that’s ok. Because each little glance, each expression, each mid-sentance hand gesture frozen on film… all bring a sense of normalcy.

And that normalcy does nothing to detract from the divine gift of an animated and spirited child who doesn’t yet know how to say “I love you mama.” But I know. I know I am loved… in the ordinary moments as well as the extraordinary ones.

So this Mothers Day we come home and place our shoes by the door. Some of us go for naps while others fold laundry. The sun continues to sink on an extraordinarily ordinary, beautifully unusual, simply wonderful normal day. And I count my blessings, the best of which are the man and the boys who have made me a mom.

For this mom… on a Sunday… in May… with my boys (all three of them)… the world is a very good place.

Knowing that this is my current reality makes me a very happy, happy woman indeed.

Dear friends, how have you seen the divine in the ordinary this week?

Glad to be a mama,
Adriel x

 


Being deliberate about resting, refreshing, and enjoying family:



About Author

Adriel Booker is an author, speaker, and advocate based in Sydney, Australia who believes storytelling, beauty, and the grace of God will change the world. Adriel has become a trusted voice in areas of motherhood and parenting, Christian spirituality, and global women's issues. She's also known for her work with the Love A Mama Collective—serving under-resourced women in developing nations through safe birth initiatives—as well as her years spent as a Bible teacher and leadership coach. Her latest book is Grace Like Scarlett: Grieving with Hope after Miscarriage and Loss and she's made the companion grief journal available for free. Find Adriel across all social media platforms at @adrielbooker or sign up for LoveNotes, Adriel's 'secret posts' that aren't published anywhere else online. ✌️

15 Comments

  • Colleen
    15 May 2011 at 10:24 am

    This is beautiful! Happy belated Mother's day to you!:)

    Reply
  • Buckeroomama
    15 May 2011 at 12:02 pm

    What a lovely day… and what a lovely post. 🙂

    My husband and I were in Brisbane and visited the zoo there. That was before we had kids. Now we can't wait to go there again and take the kids this time.

    Reply
  • amanda
    15 May 2011 at 1:07 pm

    Awww what beautiful pictures. It's so cool that you can go hang out with the animals like that 🙂

    I LOVE the one with the sandals and the adorable cuteness that are tiny toddler footwear next to adult footwear. 🙂 🙂 Lucky mama!

    Reply
  • Emily
    15 May 2011 at 2:39 pm

    Ah, memories 🙂

    Emily
    texasnj.dayeightmedia.com

    Reply
  • Cari
    15 May 2011 at 3:29 pm

    Such a sweet post and beautiful pics, wonderful Memories. Happy Mother's Day!

    Reply
  • Ashley
    15 May 2011 at 4:16 pm

    Such a sweet post! Have a great day! 🙂

    Reply
  • Nessa
    15 May 2011 at 5:06 pm

    Happy mothers day! Lovely way to spend it. Loe that first photo so much.

    Reply
  • Casey Martinez
    15 May 2011 at 6:10 pm

    I have to say that Levi looks like a mini Steve Irwin in the first picture;0. We loved watching Steve's shows;-0 hehe. This looks like such a fun family outing and especially love the pic of L with the kangaroo. What an AWESOME capture!!!

    Reply
  • cooperl788
    15 May 2011 at 11:26 pm

    I love this post! It's so sweet and so true that a mom's joy really is watching their family enjoy themselves and be happy. The pictures of Levi are too too cute. What an amazing childhood to get to grow up getting to pet the kangaroos and koalas! Happy Mother's Day Adriel – you deserve every moment of joy!

    Reply
  • Jami
    16 May 2011 at 4:27 am

    These pictures are great. I love this post! Just stumbled upon your blog, love it 😉

    Reply
  • Getrealmommy
    16 May 2011 at 5:22 am

    okay….stop a second, am I making this up or aren't you around 20 weeks pregnant? Where the heck is your tummy?? You look better than I do when I'm not expecting 🙂

    Gret photos! Happy mother's day!

    Reply
  • Yolanda (Blaggie Plaggie: Babblings of a Mommy Doctor)
    16 May 2011 at 7:58 am

    I love watching kids watching animals. The enthusiasm is contagious. We go to the San Diego zoo pretty much every other week with our membership. Koalas here though cannot be approached and touched. Prior to kids, my husband and I had made it out to Sydney, but the Wildlife Center we went to there did not allow you to approach the koalas. I still wish we had had the opportunity to visit a place that did while we were there!

    Reply
  • Dina @ 4 Lettre Words
    16 May 2011 at 1:26 pm

    What a wonderful way to celebrate! Such sweet moments captured.

    Reply
  • Branson
    16 May 2011 at 7:32 pm

    Levi is just so cute! I also love seeing things through innocent eyes. I want to keep that simplicity for as long as possible! 🙂

    Now, A… Where are you hiding the baby you are currently growing?! You sure don't look that pregnant 😉 Happy belated Mother's day, friend!

    Reply
  • Alicia
    28 May 2011 at 11:12 pm

    You sure know how to make a woman cry! Thanks for the reminder to savour the extraordinary ordinary! Great post.

    Reply

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