I am often taken aback at what transpires in an ordinary day.

We anticipate and await the various “events” of our lives. Most of us look forward to birthdays, graduations, weddings, and vacations, as if some scripted moment will carve a special memory in our minds.

I am learning that what lingers are the moments that sandwich these events. In my ordinary days, my time is filled with minutiae: making coffee, doing laundry, washing dishes, and paying bills. I squeeze in some writing time, while taking care of my daughter’s needs. Since it is summertime, most days involve some kind of activity that centers around  her.

Yesterday afternoon we decided to watch a movie together at home. She picked out “Oz” and slid it into the DVD player. We cuddled under our blankets on the couch, taking refuge from the hot day of the summer. She leaned into my shoulder and placed her head on me. Her eyes focused, she absorbed what was happening on the screen. At the end of the movie, the main character offers his friends various gifts and a reason why he chose these particular items to give to them.

After watching this scene, my daughter hugged me tight and said this, “Momma, you are the only present I will ever need.”  I did not know what to say. I hugged her back and said, ‘Thank you. What a nice thing to say.” I could feel every word absorb into my heart.

For the remainder of the day, I thought about what she said. These are days when I am questioning my place, purpose, and point of the endeavors I’ve chosen. My transitions and struggles to cement myself into my own identity collide with my notions of who I was in my twenties and thirties. My footing stumbles as I navigate my terrain.

Amidst all my own self doubt, my daughter’s 10 words will stay with me. In that second, on that summer day, the essence of the ordinary brought me to tears. I needed a reminder. This is what life is all about.