The essence

Basically, what simplicity will achieve in our lives is the goal that we will discard those things in our lives that are weighing us down, whether from maintenance, storage, money outflow, and even things that are weighing us down emotionally, thereby freeing up time and money for the more important things to us - travelling to Memphis to see family, spending more time with family and friends here in our area, practicing the harp, etc.

Yes, emotionally "stuff" can wear one down. Take guilt, for instance. How many items of clothing have I bought that I never wore or wore once, decided I didn't like it, but didn't give it to Goodwill because, after all, I had spent that money and didn't want to waste it! Waste it? Having it sit in my closet unworn for a few years is not wasting it? The problem with that is that every time I see that item of clothing, I feel bad. Guilty. Why did I buy that? What was I thinking? It makes me feel bad to wear it and feel bad to see it hanging in the closet unworn. Simplicity says - give it away.

Speaking of giving away, I also gave away a lot of my cross-stitch patterns and magazines. Now, when you get into the area of sewing crafts, that is fragile for me. I am a pattern collector. So what if I'm not into iguanas - one day I might have a friend who has a friend who is into iguinas and might need this pattern! Just like the old people we joke about who keep rubber bands from 1980 just in case they need them one day. It's truly pitiful. What I didn't realize until recently, though, was that looking at those patterns every time I passed by them reminded me of a sad fact - I will never ever have enough time to make everything I want to make. That's just cold reality - and it hurts. The "one day" will never come. I could still, after giving away so much, make a cross-stitch pattern every day and would never get through them all, even if I lived to 100. That's not counting quilting or anything else. Sheesh! It hurts to face reality, but in the long run, I think it will free me up emotionally. It's amazing how much of our "stuff" is tied to our emotions.