Less

Less.

I'm not quite sure when I decided that more was better than less? It seems that our culture encourages us to aspire for more. But what if less was actually better?

I ran across a book the other day that caught my eye entitled The Joy of Less, by Francine Jay. Now not only does Jay seem to advocate for less, but she insists that there is joy found in doing so. 

As a child I certainly had enough, but never as much as I wanted. With six kids in my family no one really ever had too much. As a beginning teacher I longed for more, but my meager paycheck didn't seem to cooperate. 

Overtime, though, I found myself owning more and more. So much so that I really wasn't sure what I owned or where to find it. Last fall as Chuck and I began to declutter our house, I found myself anything but joyful as I pulled my never ending abundance out of closets and drawers. 

Today I understand the idea of less, and the joy it can bring. No longer encumbered by my material possessions I don't have to store them, or dust them, or worry about them. Now I know exactly what I have and they are things I really need and love. 

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful"

William Morris