Katrina Kenison writes the best memoir I've read in quite a while. The memoir is really about how to cope with change in our daily life. Katrina Kenison learned to appreciate every moment that came her way. At one time she had to deal with her family moving back in her parents home for a short time. Another drastic change is when one son, Jack, is headed to high school while the other brother, Henry, is headed to college. Since each child is dealing with different coping mechanisms, Katrina and Steve's parenting became more sobering, more fragile and more tense.
So, here is a family not very different from any other family going through the stress of their adult disappointments, like the loss of a job, illness of a friend, and the expense of moving while at the same time trying to say the correct words when their boys are disappointed by rejection, etc.
The ordinary days faced by Katrina Kenison are not boring. Her calm, strength and philosophies make her ordianary day noticeably extraordinary. In no way did Katrina make herself seem like supermom. Katrina Kenison is just a woman in tune with the fact that life is not stagnant. Life is stormy at times. Everyone and everything is turning topsy turvy. Therefore, you need muscle toning to take on the fight. What do you do? You pluck the best out of yourself. This best that's deep inside is from our friends, family and book we read. All through the book are wonders words about life and how to handle it. Katrina Kenison could hold on tight until the sun began to shine the next day and melt the snow.
I especially identified with her days of coping with the boys becoming men and the Empty-nest syndrome. This is such a hard part of life. When to say what to a young adult? When to let go? Because we do have to let go. What do we do when we're "needed" in a totally new and different way? How not to feel lost when our children leave town, go away to live, etc? I am well past this stage. Still, I miss my boys. I find myself saying to grown men "are you wearing a sweater today?" I have to always grab myself and get a grip. Hey! this guy is a husband, college student, father.
In one instance Jack was pulling away, becoming more inward. Each person was pulling in a different direction while all were trying to remain symbolically together as a family. Talking about tough times, but Katrina Kenison found the wisdom to deal with the time gracefully. This book is truly wonderful. It's very hard to stop talking about the memorable incidents in the book, "the gift of an ordinary day by Katrina Kenison. The author is a lady I would love to meet at a book signing. I will wait anxiously for her next book.
