A Whole Lot of Less

I once went on a day trip to Atlanta with a nun from Tanzania who, upon leaving our house, slipped a handkerchief into her pocket. No purse, no handbag, no jacket or snack. Just a hankie.


That image stayed with me and later I wrote (and published) a story on the lessons of simplicity she taught me during her visits with us. (A Hankie for My Pocket)


Those lessons keep me mindful of too much, of clutter that has a way of taking over all aspects of life -- everything from what is in our closets to how we schedule our free time.


It was in this mindset that I packed for our spring break trip to Florida, a 9-day trip in which I wanted to keep things simple. Then, because I needed to provide drawer and closet space for our Masters guests, I squirreled away the rest into storage boxes -- the clothes, shoes, and jewelry that weren't going with me. Here is what I packed:

clothing

mix and match outfits for nine days
(two pairs of leggings, two maxi dresses, tank tops, one button down shirt, workout clothes)

bathing suit and cover-up

four pairs of shoes

accessories

Fitbit Blaze with interchangeable straps (black and brown)

a ring

a pair of earrings

a wrap bracelet

a scarf

one reversible tote

beauty products

only the essentials, packed into one small zippered bag

That's it. I packed all these items into one medium sized suitcase and one tote.


For those 9 days of vacation I had what I needed. I had a choice of what to wear, but wasn't debilitated with too many selections. I wore a watch daily, added the wrap bracelet and ring in the evening, but didn't waste time pawing through my jewelry drawer. When it was chilly I wore a cardigan, when it got warmer I knotted it around my shoulders, and I carried the same tote all week (sometimes brown, sometimes reversing it to black).


I wanted for nothing, but had exactly what I needed. Not too much, not too little, but the blessing of just enough.


Interestingly, we have been home for 2 1/2 weeks and I still haven't pulled my clothes and jewelry out of storage. I'm sure at some point I will, but I don't even miss them.


Living with enough is plenty.