Were you a fly on the wall in the vicinity of my beloved and I in recent days, you’d likely have heard me utter something akin to “Oh, to have my normal life again.”

Normal? What is that? Not that I didn’t have an idea, but rather than assume, I looked up the definition of this oft-used simple word:

Normal…According with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, or principle; conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern [Merriam-Webster]

Ah-hah. Yes, one of those moments.

Wow, seems that definition is the perfect description of yours truly. [Well, except for the first third of my life but that’s a story for another time.] However, before we take me out to the woodshed, that’s not all bad. Routines and patterns can help us live a peaceful, low-stress life. On the other hand, there are a couple of key concepts in that definition that could lead to other not-so-positive attitudes and behaviors.

Not deviating…it’s wisdom to keep your vehicle in the proper driving lane. It is pure foolishness to refuse to switch lanes upon discovering a disabled vehicle in front of you as you round a curve because “it’s not supposed to be there in the first place.”

Conforming to a regular pattern…it’s wisdom to establish consistent schedules for meals, sleep, and recreation. It’s less than wise to ignore severe weather conditions by setting out for Aunt Martha’s through a blizzard or hurricane because “that’s what we do every Sunday afternoon.”

Truth of the matter is the majority of us are creatures of habit. For the most part, we’d prefer to not deviate from a norm or certain regular pattern in our day-to-day life.

That is until life happens and upends our neat little apple cart of normalcy.

The unwelcome triggers can run the gamut—a major health crisis, loss of a job, a move to a new city. Or less upsetting but still impactful—an appliance breakdown, a flat tire late at night on the way home from work, a child with a broken heart.

Call me a late learner, but I’ve been on a journey of acceptance. Not resignation, acceptance. There’s a huge difference between the two. the reality is what constitutes normal can be as fleeting as the day is long. What serves well as a pattern for today, may, in fact, look very different tomorrow.

“Oh, to have my normal life again.”

Not gonna happen. And that’s okay. Why?

Because if we choose to believe God knows best, we need to be open to change for reasons we may never fully understand in this life.  No doubt, that isn’t always easy and it sure disrupts our “normal”.

In light of recent breast surgeries and diagnoses, I have about four weeks to heal before beginning six weeks of Monday through Friday radiation therapy. My sense of a normal life before all this began was one thing. What it is now bears little resemblance to that season of time.

The good news is that in our willingness to surrender to Divine grace and mercy, we will never be left alone to deal with the change that is inevitable during our journey on this Earth.

And yes, you have permission to remind me of that Truth should you happen to appear as the proverbial fly-on-the-wall of my life.

What does normal mean to me?

How do I feel when my life is not normal?

How do I feel about trusting God to help me establish healthy patterns, as needed?

[Updated June 2019]