Comments on: Ordinary Days

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:09:39 +0000

My children are 12 and 15. I miss those days of ordinary moments. They seem to be as busy as ever but not needing me for all the things they are busy with. I can remember feeling like ‘will this relentless needing me ever stop’ and now I’m missing it….a lot.

Gwen, this was a reminder that things change and the kids do grow up. It helped me to bring those special and ordinary memories to the fore front of my mind today. It made me smile.

By: Paula

Paula — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:39:20 +0000

Anya my daughter is 19 and a freshman, living on campus. This was a huge adjustment. Cherish all those years, even the teens because empty nest creeps up fast!

By: Samantha@IW

Samantha@IW — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:31:14 +0000

I have a 6 year old and I miss her toddler days so much. I can only imagine 10 years from now. Thanks Gwen for sharing with us, as always!

By: Gwen

Gwen — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:05:59 +0000

Wow Ann, that is JUST how I feel, when we can ALL do things together. My son is graduating from high school this year, has a job, friends, anda girlfriend. He comes home late most nights and he’s off to bed. Yesterday, all four of us made a rare trip to the mall, and it was the best part of my weekend. We laughed and talked, going from the mall to the pet store, then on to pick up a few groceries. Now, the mall is NOT my favorite place, but it was the fact that we were together, talking, sharing stories, people-watching and cracking jokes — that’s what made it special. We got home, made dinner, and watched a movie together. It was awesome. I don’t think my kids realize how much those moments mean to me.

By: Ann@IW

Ann@IW — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:39:46 +0000

I agree that the ordinary moments are really the best memories: playing dolls with my sisters, watching Tv together, summers swimming in the pool, noisy suppertimes with the lefties on one side and the righties on the other. As a mom, I do miss having small ones and the everyday schedules. Just today, before reading this, I was talking to my 15 year old daughter about the lunches I made for her in elementary school and how they changed over the years. I enjoyed the challenge of preparing those menus…

Recently our little family watched FIVE seasons of LOST downloaded from Netflix together. It was too much for any one of us to watch the whole way through, so we watched some together, then others apart and filled each other in on what happened. I can’t tell you how much we all enjoyed this, not only watching together, but answering questions about episodes we saw for the others. It has been awhile since we have all been active in the same thing because the kids are at different stages and have different interests. It isn’t so much that LOST is a fantastic show (for me it’s like a sci-fi soap opera) but it was just so nice to be together through the story line. Also, no one else that any of us know was at the same part of the story as we were. We bonded again over LOST.

By: Diane

Diane — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:24:38 +0000

Gwen I agree with Pam. As I read your article it also just gave me warm and fuzzy memories of my own family dinners growing up. Thanks for sharing with us.

By: Gwen

Gwen — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:01:11 +0000

Anya, thank you so much for your kind words! With four kids, it has been tough at times to get them all around the dinner table. Some nights the clock strikes 8 before we actually get to sit down at the table, but it matters so much to me. More than I even thought it did. So, I’m trying very hard to hang onto those few hours where we’re all in the house together.

And, I’m trying to remember to appreciate the ordinary days of NOW, as I know they will be gone in a flash.

By: Pam@IW

Pam@IW — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:02:57 +0000

Gwen,
I am 54 years old and when I look back at my own childhood memories it is the ordinary days and moments that I remember the fondest. Sunday nights watching Ed Sullivan, every evening eating supper together, working in the fields together in the summer, cartoons on Saturday mornings, Friday nights going to town and getting to eat at the local diner…… I could go on and on. I hope my children look back at their ordinary days and moments of childhood with the same fondness.

By: Anya

Anya — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:25:15 +0000

Gwen, this piece really spoke to me. I am such a fan of your writing, by the way.

I have an 18-year-old daughter. An only child. I have to confess there are nights I appreciate the quiet and freedom that comes when she is away from home, but yes – I do have mixed emotions when she is away – loneliness creeps in. I love having the time and quiet to read a book, clean out my DVR or even go out, but it comes at a price – as all things do.

It’s very impressive that you have kept up with the family dinners (no easy feat IMO). I am sure there will be more of those to come, even as your children make their own way in the world.