Last night we had a quiet New Year’s Eve at home. I have to admit, a few times I experienced the tug for the extraordinary …. the bigger experience. And then, there I was, standing outside our house at the 703 bus stop in my pjs, looking down a street that gives a slight view to the city, as my girls excitedly counted down to midnight and filmed the distant glow of the fireworks. “Happy new year” they yelled. They were happy, making memories in the ordinariness of life.

William Martin encourages parents to “make the ordinary come alive” for their children. “The extraordinary will take care of itself,” he adds. I don’t want this to only be true for my kids, but also increasingly for me in 2025. In a FOMO world, where we’re told bigger is better and we’re beckoned to constantly chase after the extraordinary, I want to reclaim more of the beauty in ordinary things in the year ahead.

To do this, I know I need to reframe of my expectations. I need to slow. I need to breathe. I need to open my eyes afresh. I need to see wonder in a new light, an ordinary light. I need to cherish small things!

Robert Brault writes: “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you will look back and realise they were the big things.”

Happy new year! May we all find beauty in ordinary things in the year ahead. May God surprise us with joy, grace and gratitude. as we open our eyes to the little things all around us.