It is that time of year when I long for the simplicity - and weather - of summer. I will admit that my seasonal depression is about 99.9% better now that we have moved south, but I still get days where I am kind of "blah." I just want to be at the beach or hanging out at a cottage, enjoying the simple things in life.I have been interested in the "simple living movement" for a while now. I used to think "Yeah, great! But I can't sew, am not a good gardener, and have no desire to have a composting toilet, so I will never be a true simple lifer..." It took me a long time to realize that simple living isn't about those things. Simple living is about living life the way you want to, doing the things you want to, and spending your life energy on the things that are important to you. Heck, I still have simple living revelations daily.
There is a blog that I have followed for years that has been abandoned. She hasn't posted for almost a year, so I am rereading the archives to keep my frugal/simple living skills sharpened. She is a great inspiration, but in the past when I read her blog I was secretly envious of the things she did, and wonder why I couldn't seem to pull myself together enough to do them. For some reason this time it is different. This time I see that her definition of "simple living" is very different than mine. Sure, I can still be inspired by what she does, but I am not going to cut up my husband's old shirts to make underwear for my kids. I would rather spend the $6 for a pack of new underwear and take my kids hiking. Does that make her choices any less valid? No. Just as my choices are mine to make, her choices are her choices to make.
According to The Simple Living Network, simple living "is not about living in poverty or self-inflicted deprivation. Rather, it is about living an examined life — one in which you have determined what is important and "enough," for you, discarding the rest."
So until I get my cottage on the beach with a beautiful garden and a breezy 72 degrees year round, I am making do with my little apartment in Mississippi.
Now it is time to go toss the football with Ethan. I am really bad at it, so he gets to show me how athletic he is. :o|
So tell me, what does simple living mean to you?
1 comment:
great post....oh gosh I've been trying to "simplify" things since I quit work to stay home with Zach over 7 yrs ago LOL...trying to get rid of stress and boy there has been some over the years...being "caretakers" of my husband's father is really stressful...and trying to make a life with just me and hubby and my son-stressful....getting better but some days are horrid! Simple living to me means doing what fulfills you (some of that I've lost over the years since getting married-trying to reclaim some of that for myself now),taking care of your family the best you can--living "gently" in relation to the planet and giving back when/where you can...hard to explain-in high school I wrote a poem about "simple living"-I'll have to email it to you....
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