As I pack to move this week and attempt to shove my ever-increasing belongings into my little Honda, I continuously wonder how much of the stuff I have would go completely un-missed if I were to throw it away.
How many bottles of shampoo and body lotion do I even need? If I really think about it, I could make do even without the things we consider to be essentials in life.
I've already thrown away dozens of almost-empty bottles of body products, pieces of paper I once considered to be important, old notebooks with nonsense written in them, and put together an overflowing box of clothes to donate that I haven't worn in over a year. I can't even remember what most of the items I put in the trash were. As I contemplate the places where these perfectly good things could be useful, I realize how many people in this very town would value a clean pair of jeans, an extra throw blanket, or a book to read. I suddenly feel excessively rich, and greedy to hold on to all this stuff. Its just stuff, after all.
Millions of people in the world make do with the bare necessities. Food, water, the clothes on their backs, and hopefully shelter from the weather. Millions more don't even have what they need to survive. We have blessings far above and beyond most of the world. Why are we not more grateful? Why do I complain about having less money for shopping or eating out when in fact there is nothing I am in need of?
"To live content with small means, to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion, to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich, to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly, to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart, to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never, in a word to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common, this is to be my symphony." ~William Henry Channing
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