Simple Gifts

I heard this song on a lullaby CD while I was pregnant with my daughter and I really loved it. Come to find out, it is an old Shaker hymn. My husband and I have been attending a Quaker (where Shakers have their roots) meeting for the last year and message of simplicity is a frequent one.

Simple Gifts

by Elder Joseph Brackett

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,

To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,

To turn, turn will be our delight,

Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.

What's in your backpack

The backpack monologue from "Up in the Air" is an ideology that really stuck with me after seeing the movie. Although George Clooney's character obviously uses his philosophy as an excuse for emotional detachment, I think there is something to even relationships weighing down your life. Like having 1500 facebook friends, or inviting "500 of your closest friends" to your wedding. I've found that in most areas of life (even in ways most people don't want to admit), quality is more satisfying than quantity. I'll be lightening the load of my backpack over the next week as I pack for our move.

Starting

There's a yearning in my heart for simplicity of mind, heart, and possessions. It seems like a good time to start--my little family is downsizing our household so that my husband can stay home and work. We are moving to a house 500sf smaller. I just had my first child and it is important to me that she grows up content with what she has, able to appreciate the richness of the simplest things in life. I also just ordered the book "Live More, Want Less: 52 Ways to Find Order in Your Life," by Mary Carlomagno. My intention is to read a chapter a week for a year and blog about my thoughts as I process ideas and challenges toward simplicity and find practical applications in everyday life. So, here goes...