It’s just life

Eventually you figure out that whatever you are in the middle of, really, it’s just life. The living in some other city, trying to learn something new, the kids’ new phase (it is just a phase, right?). All of it is just life. We still have to eat every day, go to school or work, and clean the toilets. Who cares if the city is Madrid, the new thing this year is speaking Spanish, and the new phase is adolescence. While I get wrapped up in our details, others face deaths, illnesses, births, earthquakes, foreclosures, new loves, old loves, troubled children and the dismantling of institutions. And that’s just this week’s news from home.

I feel honored to be able to talk to a new Madrileño friend, Esperaza, about her concerns. She has a lovely book shop that she is struggling to keep open. She lies awake at night worrying about having to talk to the bank. She is going to church to ask God for help because she doesn’t know where else to turn. It’s a notable point in our stay that I can hear the stories of people I care about here and be reminded of how small my own challenges are.

In the beginning of our year here, every hour of every day was an adventure. Every day was filled with goals and obstacles. Everything was novel. It was overwhelming and exciting.

Today Alex and I went on an outing, and I realized that it was fairly interesting, but not quite an adventure. We bought bus tickets, we arrived at the palace, we toured it, we had lunch and return home, all without a stressful or embarrassing moment. It was a pleasant excursion. A nice day in our fairly mundane life – regardless of where we are.

It’s like returning home, this realization. Sigh. It's just life. But a beautiful life at that.