On Being Here and Present

It's been a week of change, transition and simplicity. Learning (again and again and again) to be content. That enough is really enough. And home isn't about the stuff. It really isn't.

Stuff makes the four walls homey. Stuff adds character and texture. Stuff defines us. But it's not what makes us.

In preparing for this move, I thought a lot about simplicity and living on purpose. Not living in the stupid zone. Not just letting life happen but owning each day, and being a good steward of the days I have.

Now? Here I am, currently, on an air mattress covered with our beloved orange MEC sleeping bags (as an aside, if you're buying sleeping bags and wondering about buying 'the really nice ones', do it. You don't know how long and how much you'll be sleeping in them.) There's a stack of library books in one corner and two duffels in another. It's our room, minimalist to the core.

I'm so much more grateful for the little things. We were given a kettle along with a few other basic kitchen ware. A kettle? I could have wept. Granted one can always boil water for tea in a pot but a shiny, whistling kettle on the stove is so much more delightful. And two pretty mugs.

I have tons of time to figure out my house habits and to think about how I want stuff to go, where to put the bookcases and how to create an office area. I also have lots of time to just hang out with my girls. Library time, stroller time, being silly on mummy's bed time. It's so good.

To keep it all real, I don't bounce out of bed every morning super happy and grateful. I may have had just as many meltdowns as my toddler. I may have not wanted to hear about all the mature responses I could have to my current situation. But, I will always have a current situation that challenges me, that reveals stuff about me that's not always pretty.

So, I'm here. Learning again to be grateful for each day. Being aware of the simple things and delighting in them.

(written on my iPhone, pictures from down by the Bay)