Some days I wake up and I think that I have to save the world. Or that I need to write the great novel. Or at least have a blog good enough to receive 20+ comments. Or that I must do crafts with my kids. Or create magical experiences day in and day out. Or use the same safe cleaners that Jessica Alba uses. Or wear the same shoes as Gwen Stefani. The thought sometimes whispers, but most the time shouts, don’t be ordinary. Ordinary isn’t perfect. Ordinary isn’t good enough.
As I was reading Brene Brown’s book, The Gift of Imperfection, I read this line and had one of those moments where I couldn’t catch my breath and I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing: What if we’re normal and quiet and happy? Does that count?
What if I don’t save the world, but I save my family? I focus on my tiny, ordinary family of five and make sure that everyone feels love, feels joy and is happy. Why isn’t that enough? Is that even ordinary? When I stop and think about it, I actually think THAT is extraordinarily ordinary.
What if I just keep writing my blog because I want to? I started my blog to provide hope to those who have ths same diagnosis as Olivia. I didn’t start it to get 20+ comments or have people love it. I wrote it because I felt like my daughter’s story was worth sharing. Isn’t that enough?
What if, at the end of my life, all you can say about me is that I was a good wife who loved her husband and he loved me back? Or that I was a good mother who loved her kids and they knew it every day of their lives? Or that we had a family who felt worthy and loved and full of joy? Isn’t that enough?
To me, that doesn’t sound ordinary. It sounds like exactly what I’m trying to do with my life. It’s so easy to lose sight of what are true goals are in life. To just be. And to love. And to experience and share joy. And that’s enough. Even if it’s ordinary.
Elastamom's Excerpts 
Beautiful beautiful post! We are enough and do enough, and doing the ordinary with love and care is an extraordinary thing. Thanks for the reminder.
Yes, yes, yes! But isn’t crazy how sometimes we forget that? Have a gre
You are more than enough and anything but ordinary. If you start saying you are ordinary that makes me think I am subordinary (new word there). You are one of my heroes here on this earth. You have gotten me through many bad days and bouts of self-pity, just by reading your blog or spending a moment with you. I am inspired by you & don’t know what I would do without you. Neither do your husband, kids & so many others. There is no one on this earth who could do what you are doing right now every day. SO I think that makes you beyond extraordinary. So there!
You are too kind, Cyd! Thank you. And you are NOT subordinary! Have a gre
i love this. so many times we get caught up in trying to be great in the eyes of the world, but it’s to the detriment of the people who ARE our world. i know that when i look back, it’s going to be very important to me to have been a good wife, mother, and friend to those i love.
Exactly Allison! Who is your most important critic? I’m learning that it should be just me! And that I should be kind.
The gift that you are is never something I would define as ordinary. You are an individual that has such an impact on her family, the community, the world- you, my friend, are amazing. In trying to define you, I realize I can’t find a single word that would sum you up. That can NOT be “ordinary”. Thank you for sharing the gift of you-
Jen—you made me blush. Thank you, friend!
Lovely post, Tiffany. Impacting our circle of love is enough. That is where I true legacy exists.
I agree, Rudri!
I know this wasn’t the point of this post, but you are a total Blog God to me! I think you’re super famous and assumed you had like six thousand readers!
You’re hilarious, Jamie!!! 🙂
I’m half tempted to leave ten comments, to get you up to twenty today 🙂 But that number doesn’t matter – what you said does: ordinary *is* enough.
You are so sweet, Jenni! But you’re right, that’s not what matters!!
i dream of and hope for a perfectly ordinary life, so i’d say you’re living the dream! (and then some, of course, because your life and your writing are more than even the ideal “ordinary.”)
Let’s all say “hooray” for ordinary!!! Have a great day!!Tiffanywww.elastamom.com
I found your blog through your comment you left on mine and after reading this post the one word that kept coming to my mind was the same thing you left me, Amen, Amen, Amen!!! I think there can be such a push to always be beyond ordinary but the ordinary is really so beautiful. You expressed this sentiment so beautifully. So glad I read this today.
Thank you for the visit and the AMEN! Have a great day!!Tiffanywww.elastamom.com
I struggle with this EVERY day! I have such huge dreams and I’m so hard on myself when I don’t see myself getting there. The funny thing is that I always quote this saying …”the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra”. It doesn’t say “that HUGE extra”. It says “that little extra”. I forget this. Until someone makes me slow down for a minute and remember. YOU did that! It may seem like a little thing – but today it made me rethink my day and the little things I accomplished that made a difference in someone else’s day. So Tiffany, I think by definition that makes you…extraordinary. And me…grateful!
Thank you!
Wow, Stefanie, thank you! I keep that Mother Theresa quote in my head as often as possible…it helps! Have a great day!!Tiffanywww.elastamom.com
Its such as you read my thoughts! You appear to understand so much about this, like you wrote the guide in it or something. I think that you just can do with a few p.c. to drive the message home a little bit, but other than that, that is excellent blog. A great read. I’ll certainly be back.