Trying to live simply

Way back when we first married, my husband and I decided to try to live simply. In some ways its worked in others it hasn't.


Now I am cleaning out my mother's house. She wasn't an extravagant person by any means. But she lived in this house for almost 25 years and reared three children here. That leads to a lot of stuff accumulating. We've donated 14 bags already. (No one in the family wears her size.) We also found plenty of junk to toss. We are each also keeping some things for remembrance and most of the furniture will go with one or the other of us, although we are selling a bedroom set.


I may be moving soon, perhaps into my mother's house. If I do, I am going to try to clean stuff out, let go of what I don't need or really want. My thought is to try to go by William Morris' quote, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful," with the caveat that some things are useful for play.

I don't know how well I'll do, because I do have an attachment to some stuff and may have trouble giving it up. Perhaps recognizing that will help. I have heard that there are many benefits to our health, our emotional state, our time mangagement and the environment to living simply.


Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and ruste destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." That's what I really need to keep in mind.


Will you join me in trying to live more simply?