The other day I noticed that my shampoo claims that Wildly Exciting is Our Normal. Really? It does clean my hair, but that seems overstated.
If you read the tabloids in the grocery store you could start to think that relationships are supposed to be glamorous and expensive to be anything. As you stand there with your cereal and frozen peas it can make you feel like you are a complete schmuck.
The other day in marriage group one person mentioned her pleasure at cleaning a shed with her husband. It was humble work, but it mattered to her. Another person talked about going on an outing that ended with ice cream. He smiled as he told the story.
Last Monday Benjamin asked what we had done over the weekend. I had an inkling that he expected his friend to ask him and he wanted an answer. I thought for a minute. Nothing newsworthy came to mind, though it had been lovely weather and I had enjoyed the time with my family.
"We watched church and listened to our favorite music. It was a nice weekend," I offered. He may have used the material for his response, or maybe he used his default response.
There are whole continents of people who live each day with simple expectations: finding enough food, finishing the day's labors, being under the same roof with the people they love. For others escaping danger is a high priority. But somehow the American culture has tried to convince us that that is not enough. We have to be well coiffed, hugely popular, eating high priced food and entertained in order to be happy.
I think I will look for a shampoo with a less ostentatious label. Cleans hair. That's all.
Maybe it will help me remember to keep my expectations simple.
Smile. Hug. Look in each other's eyes. Listen. Share chips and salsa. Watch the sky.
