Our Daily Work

Just another ordinary, busy day as a mother. Filled to the brim with tasks for many small people, plus a few larger ones as well. Nothing unusual. Yet, take a look at how beautiful the simple task of answering a "can I go out and play" question while changing the bedsheets can look through the perspective of time.

Pieter de Hooch
The Bedroom, 1658/1660
Widener Collection
National Gallery, Washington D.C.

"[This painting] depicts a mother changing the linen in a “sleeping cupboard” while her daughter seems to ask to go out in the backyard to play. The tidy parlor, lined in blue-and-white glazed tiles, recalls that Delft was a major ceramic center. It is noteworthy that even this modest household proudly displays three framed paintings and mirrors." (NGA Website)

Prayer: Lord, infuse us with the spirit of Mary while we complete our many Martha tasks.