Seems that it was easier years ago. Many of us have forgotten some of the simple pleasures as we run from one commitment to another, juggling jobs, children, work and more.
I got to see some of those simple pleasures in action this weekend. I was lucky enough to spend time in rural Maine at the house of my dear friend and due to the kindness of her husband. Close to her house is the annual MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association) Country Fair. Going to the fair was like stepping back to a time when people valued the simplicity of a prize winning tomato or a horse. Where children with their families were oohing and aahing over the big pumpkins. Where a child has fun just kicking a rock. Where fresh air and home grown food, school bands and bicycle parades are enjoyed and shared. It was truly wonderful.My simplicity was by choice. I chose to stay at a house that had only 4 television stations, no internet and no cell phone service. It was a nice respite from my normal plugged in life with the TV blaring, the laptop cranking and a phone ringing behind me. I got to choose to have the simple life for a few days unlike those people in Galveston, Texas who are still struggling without power, some without the house and possessions that had been so much a part of who they were. Or those in many other parts of the world who have so many other challenges to deal with. I got to choose…and I’m grateful.
It all comes down to the basics…fresh air, water, shelter, food, friends and family. If we have those, if have peace, the rest is just stuff. Stuff that we might be able to do without, that we can donate to those who need it more than us, stuff that sometimes is more clutter than benefit both mental and physical.
Embrace simplicity…whether you choose it or it chooses you. Its benefits are often more than we could have imagined.
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