I seem to be on a theme recently on simplifying life. Perhaps it is because summer is coming to an end and autumn is right around the corner. Most of my life has revolved around academia with the new year beginning in September. I think of August as a time to get rid of the clutter left over from the summer and to bring in the new for the up coming season. In a couple of weeks, the beautiful door wreath with its pink and blue florals will be replaced with an autumn one with warm tones. Inside, the beach shells and nautical motif will make room for some pumpkins and apple-cinnamon candles. I love the summer and hate to see it go, but I have come to love the fall even more since we have moved to North Carolina thirteen years ago. The weather is less severe during the autumn months with cooler temps and less humidity and the trees yet the flowers continue to stay in bloom with just the hint of color changes in the leaves.
For many years, I use to completely change my decor to match the corresponding season. The attic or garage had a number of boxes marked, “autumn, Christmas, winter, Easter, summer). I love to decorate so I would set the stage for the upcoming season or holiday with all of the trimmings. It was fun and exciting to remember the different items that symbolized the various occasions. When my mom downsized, I acquired her decorations and continued the many traditions that she maintained over the years.
Like most things in life, too much of a good thing just gets to be too much! When we moved from our large two story, multi-bedroom house to a one-story open concept home, I donated and tossed many of the decorations that I had accumulated over time. The beloved items that brought such joy over the years simply became overwhelming. It was no longer fun to place all of the items around the house while storing the current ones. It began to feel like an obligation and one more chore. Also, our boys who enjoyed the excitement of the changing seasons had become adults with their own places and decor based on their interests. I realized that decorating just because I always did was not a good reason. Lifting boxes became dangerous because of coordination and balance issues from my Parkinson’s. It was the perfect time to simplify.
My eldest son often uses the phrase, “keep it simple.” There are variations on this statement, but the overall idea is the same. To me, it means reducing the clutter not only in our homes, but in our minds. Don’t get me wrong, I will still have an autumn wreath and some mums on the front porch, but not much will change inside our home. Most importantly, the time and effort spent on getting all of the stuff ready for “whatever” may now be spent on enjoying the simpler life…..
