For my birthday, dear son E. and daughter-in-law A. (how I love writing daughter-in-law!) gave me a framed print, which reads:KNOWLEDGE AND GROWTH
DO NOT NECESSARILY
MEAN ACCUMULATING MORE,
BUT LETTING GO
OF MOST EVERYTHING.
Doesn't this lovely quotation make you think?
Living with less is a value I have practiced for many years, especially living in India part of the year. How can I explain having so much to my friends who live with so little?
This winter, since Christmas, we have been living with less here in Florida...LESS WARMTH, THAT IS!
Our neighbors, longtime snowbirds, tell us that
- "This is the coldest winter I've experienced in the 20 years I've been coming here!"
- "It should be 20 degrees warmer this time of year!"
Yup, we're living with 20 degrees less.
And just Who The Heck Am I to think the weather should be a certain way?
Working hard to learn the lesson the elements are teaching us....we let go of the expectation of hot weather this Valentine's Day Sunday. I gave my husband mittens and a hot mug of mocha java. He gave me flowers, chocolate and a space heater.
Happy Birthday Bethany!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the concept of being joyful with less stuff. When we moved to our organic farm 6 years ago, I loved every inch of it. The only problem was that our new house was half the size of the one that we were living in. This meant a HUGE rummage sale and giving away the excess that we didn't sell. I thought I would miss all of that stuff. Only rarely do we (there are 5 of us living in this 1,500 square foot house)ever miss any of that stuff--we just don't think about it!
I am curious to learn what your normal temps are for this time of year. I live in North Dakota and if the temperature gets above 0, we think we're having a heat wave. :) I guess it's true that everything is relative!
Blessings,
Dawn Bornemann
Hi Bethany!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading the thoughts you share in this space. Yes, the framed quotation does make me think. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify!!!
Love to you and Thurmond,
Ruth Ann