For Me, It's the Simple Things

Several years ago a friend of mine from high school and I were talking over lunch at a nice restaurant in Atlanta. She was wearing a lovely diamond tennis bracelet, and I commented on it asking her if it was new. No, she answered, she’d had it for several years. She then went on to say - maybe because she’d had a glass of wine and was a little too relaxed- that she had never worn it in front of me because she knew that I couldn’t afford nice things like that, and she didn’t want me to feel bad or envious of her.

For some odd reason, this conversation came back to me last night as I lay awake in the middle of the night, gazing at the stars through our skylights, and relaxing in the quiet darkness of my cozy home. The simplicity of my life stretched out in front of me in my mind, and I began thinking about what I consider valuable. True, I don’t have a fancy diamond tennis bracelet, and I don’t live in a big rambling house as my friend did the last time I saw her. My mind drifted as I thought about all the things in my life that I treasure and hold close to my heart. None of them involve diamonds, gold, or other sparkly things.

I reflected on my walk yesterday afternoon when I noticed how blue the sky was, and watched the shadow of Diamond and me stretching out in front of us as we walked down our country road with the late afternoon sun behind us. I reflected on the furniture in my house, which I have often dubbed as “contemporary divorce.” Most of the furniture we have comes from my previous marriage, Phil’s previous marriage, or miscellaneous pieces that came from my parents’ home after they died. Phil and I have been talking for several years about buying a sofa, but just haven’t yet seen the need to get one. We do just fine with things the way they are. I drive an old car that’s been mine for years, and I try to pay for things I buy with cash.

And now with the current economic downturn and all the financial uncertainty facing us, I try not to fret over the evaporation of much of my meager retirement savings. I realize that the things I value most are my health, my family, my friends, and my home. My life is a simple one, and my wants and needs are also simple. I now talk to my friends about “going off the grid” and becoming more self-sufficient in my life. I am looking forward to springtime when we’ll plant our garden and jelly-making season will begin again. I continue to tithe from my income as a demonstration of my faith, and I know where my happiness and peace comes from.

I wonder about my friend and her diamond bracelet. We’ve lost track of each other, and I haven’t heard from her in several years. I hope that she is happy with her diamonds.

I know that I don’t need or want them.