The non-routine

In certain parts of this country, snow causes no problems. People get up, go to work, head to school, and life is normal. I saw a picture posted on Facebook in which there were several snow plows along a highway with cars following. The caption read: "Some people call this a snowstorm, we call it Thursday." Well, where I live it is called a snowstorm and that snowstorm has dumped about 12" of snow in the last 2 days and has now decided to turn into the lovely freezing rain we all love so much (I think this is why I have never loved snow---it is always followed by ice). Like so many other people in this neck of the woods, snow breaks up routine. My husband worked from home, school was canceled, so I was home, and our dog decided she would only go outside if it was a dire emergency (unless we were going for a walk).

As I cleaned things that hadn't been cleaned for a while and sat reading books that had been sitting on the shelf waiting to be read, I was struck by the entirely different outlook that snow gives those of us who are not quite as used to navigating through it. All of a sudden I didn't really feel like driving unless I absolutely had to, and yet at the same time, I immediately felt like offering help to anyone who needed it.

One of the books I started reading was the book I posted about a few months ago- I Dare Me by LuAnn Cahn. She writes about how she took 2010 to do something new every single day (you can read about her year of firsts at http://luanncahn.com/ ). I was struck by our very similar experiences as we challenged ourselves to do new things. Furthermore she talks about the little things (her new things were on a smaller level than many of mine have been) that break up routine. In the book she writes, "...as I discovered during the year, it's the smallest changes that eventually change everything: They got me 'unstuck.' They brought the life back into my life. And they also made me realize something incredibly important: Firsts don't have to be big, dramatic, and risky to recharge and reinvent your life. By just trying small things, you begin to see the world around you with fresh, child's eyes" (p. xiv)

What it really made me think about is that what keeps life interesting aren't necessarily the new things, but the non-routine things. Some of her new things were talking to a stranger, learn the alphabet backwards, don't look in a mirror for a day. Today, my husband and I took the dog for a walk in the snow, we stopped at a park and watched kids and adults alike sledding and snowboarding down the hill (crowds of them!), we threw snowballs at each other---with no kids around---and I made a snow angel. These little things break up routine. One of my favorites was watching all the sledders in the park. What fun to watch a community hanging out in the same space, laughing, screaming and cheering each other on; or making that inevitable "oooo" as someone tumbles off the sled.

Breaking up the routine. Maybe that has been what all of this has been about. Maybe I easily get stuck in ruts and am so charged by new things, that I quickly get dragged down when all I do is get up, work, come home, make dinner, go to bed. Not that I am completely complaining; I love my job. But the non-routine helps us look at life in new ways, appreciating what we have and possibly finding new joys.

Here's to breaking up your routine and finding ways to celebrate all that life has to offer!