A quote attributed to St. Therese of Lisieux is posted on the door of our fridge: "Each little task of everyday life is part of the harmony of the universe." I think of that quote when I'm trying to catch up on the laundry, or I'm doing the dishes (and wishing I could get off my feet), or struggling with a 3-year-old who doesn't want to go to bed just yet.
I used to think that by this point in my life I would have accomplished great things, which may be why, at times, the mundane "stuff" of my everyday existence feels like a kind of failure.
Then I remember that quote. And I find myself thinking that maybe, just maybe, all that "stuff" is helping to keep the universe (or at least some small part of it) humming along. If the laundry didn't get done, if I gave up on the dishes or, God forbid, gave up on that child, a small piece of the universe might spin out of control. Then another. And another.
And if we all gave up, the whole shebang might collapse.
So I'll get up in the morning. I'll fix breakfast. I'll drive my grandson to day care and head off to teach -- and do my bit to keep the universe in harmony and intact.
I think that qualifies as an accomplishment.
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