Harmony
“As
you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler;
solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor
weakness weakness.”
Henry
David Thoreau
Each
year, the Christmas season seems less frenetic to me. Perhaps that is
because I've opted out, but maybe the whole idea of simplicity is
truly beginning to set in. When I was a child (long, long ago, in a
universe far, far away) Christmas meant we put up a tree, got candy
and fruit in our stockings and one “big” gift along with a few
articles of needed clothing. I don't remember that being
insufficient—I don't remember feeling stinted by it. Maybe that
sort of Christmas is what feels native to me.
When
my children were young, our Christmas tree would be piled with
presents up to and beyond the lower branches, stacked up and spilling
out into the room. It was excessive and unnecessary, and I question
now what on earth we were thinking. It seems we were simply going
along with the times. I know a young couple today, who have four
children under the age of 10. At Christmas, they allow the kids to
open all their presents, and once opened, to choose two or three of
their favorites to play with. Then all the rest go into the attic to
be doled out over the course of the year. That seems a far smarter
option to me.
When
we simplify our lives we learn just how little we actually need, and
how anything in excess sooner or later becomes a problem. We are able
to live just as well, in fact better, with less. We do not feel
impoverished or deprived; we feel content. I know many people who are
clearing out their closets, basements and attics, and hauling
boatloads of “stuff” to thrift stores for someone else to enjoy.
Finding the balance of having what is necessary and giving away the
rest seems like a true gift to me. Marcus Aurelius said, “He
who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the
universe.” Let this be the season of harmony.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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