Embracing a New Simple Life

I have told people for years that I live a simple life.  Little did I know that my life could become even more simple.  Now that I am living alone in a small apartment, I understand more fully what the word simple really means!

My sister-in-law and I talked over the phone yesterday for our weekly Saturday check-in.  She asked me what I still need for my new home.  I thought about it, and had a hard time coming up with a list for her.  There are still many of my personal belongings still at the house where I used to live, and I am hopeful that I will get them back in the divorce.  I don’t want to duplicate these items until I know for sure whether they will still be available for me.  I wasn’t sure what to tell her.

Downsizing is a word I hear quite often from my baby-boomer friends as they sell their homes and move into smaller spaces.   We are discarding the unessential things from our lives, and making critical decisions on what is important to us.  This is what I did on September 8, when I went back to my home to claim my belongings and move them out.  Unfortunately, I was unable to get many of the things that I wanted and/or needed that day, but looking back on that stressful day, I know that I made some good choices, and I am now surrounded by a few things that hold special meaning for me.   I am mourning over those that were unavailable to me on that day (the reason for this is another story), but now almost two months later, I am doing quite nicely without them, and if I have to do it, I can live happily without them.

I am working on my budget for my new life.  It is going to be a strict one for the next year until I begin drawing Social Security.  But again, I am discovering that I don’t need much, and simplicity is truly an integral part of my life.   There are still things that I would like to have in my new home, but I am living very comfortably and finding that the simple life is indeed a good one.

 My days are changing, my life is definitely changing, and the road I am now traveling is cluttered with new adventures and discoveries.  Even with all the pain and fear of this year, I am collecting blessings along the way, which are making me a new person.   I don’t like snakes, but I keep thinking of the snake skins I used to find when I was camping or hiking, and know that, like the snake, I am shedding my old skin and creating a new one that fits me better. 

Downsizing, embracing a simple life – call it what you want.  It is something that I am living each day.  My days are still worth collecting!