Autumn is a time when we are reminded of what it means to live beautifully. The earth is covered in a blanket of vividly colored leaves, squirrels are rummaging through trees and gardens gathering their nuts for the winter, and the shorter days are inviting us to slow down. So much of life can be lived in the fast lane, always hustling about to and fro, always seeking after this next best thing or that one, and sometimes even comparing our lives to the lives of others. Autumn reminds us that we don't need to fall into those traps and webs and instead can choose the better path of slower, simpler, softer, and gentler living.
I've shared many times here before about my growing up years and how my mom made it a top priority that my sister and I had a proper childhood, not a rushed one and not one in which we were always being thrown from one activity to the next. We had a childhood filled with imagination and fun and play and make-believe and good, old-fashioned fun. As an adult, the same ideas are implemented, but just in a few different ways. But the general idea of a slower, simpler, softer and gentler life are still there just as much as they always were, if not more so. It's only within the past couple of years that I have come to see it as a sacred way of life as well.
A soft and slow life is a good life. And it is possible wherever you live. My family and I live on half-an-acre in a neighborhood in the suburbs, and we've always had neighbours and homes all around us. While I admit to dreaming of a life in the countryside surrounded by nature and trees and critters instead of people, I am learning that until that comes to be, I can still live a soft and slow life right here, right now. Somethings may look different from those who do live surrounded by nature and not houses and people, but the general ideas still are shared. This life is not about rules, nor following trends or sticking to some specific blueprint. While I use the term "soft and slow" it does not imply any sort of strict adherence to any specific lifestyle according to what any person or group may say. It is a life of journeying freely and wandering quietly and living slowly and softly and gently so as not to miss anything beautiful. It's inviting magic into my ordinary days and seeing that even the most ordinary of moments has the possibility to be something wonderful. It's a constant turning back to the sparkly-eyed, wonder-filled aspects of childhood. And no, it's not perfect or always how I thought it would be, but it's a journey that if lifelong, not some destination you reach in a handful of days or months.
Practicing a softer, slower way of life can be done in so many ways. Far too many to count and certainly far too many to mention here today. But I would like to share a few that are meaningful to me.
Slow cooking is an art that I am falling in love with more and more every day. Today far too many people are just too busy and lives are too hectic to even cook a homemade meal in the evenings. Folks are too busy to chop their own onions and measure their own spices that they have resorted to buying overpriced meal subscription boxes. And on top of that, the skill of cooking is lost on some people. You don't need to be a gourmet chef; I'm certainly not. But I do think it is imperative that every person know how to cook for themselves...eating, after all, is a need in order to survive. I love using my time in the kitchen to slow down and really enjoy the process. I find such pleasure in chopping a variety of veggies and heating up the oil and listening to that sizzling sound of them sauteing in the hot pan. Then adding flour and water and yeast and a few other ingredients and seeing them come together to make a bread dough. Gently kneading the dough by hand and feeling it work together and finally placing it in the pan and watching it slowly, slowly rise higher and higher. Of course, the baking of bread means that our home smells heavenly and it tastes scrumptious, too! Allowing soups or stews to simmer in the afternoon into the evening, or preparing a pot pie or stir fry and trying new recipes and learning new skills...it's all part of making cooking fun and something that I love even more than I did before.
Taking the time to enjoy nature and really seeing what is right in front of your eyes. My Grandpa always called it "shooting the breeze" and was a lover of going on a "cruise" which simply meant on a drive. It was something he did nearly every day after he retired, and always with a camera in hand. Always. We've always loved just going in our own garden and sitting in chairs and listening to the sounds of birds chirping and seeing squirrels chase each other through the trees. Nature is healing for the body, mind and soul and I know that when I haven't been outside in a few days, I begin to feel it and my body is begging me for some fresh air and to just soak up the beauty that the earth holds.
Your home should tell the story of who you are and be a collection of what you love.
Simple living does not equal minimalism, which is simply a passing trend that places unnecessary guilt upon too many people. In no way does getting rid of all your possessions and having a cold, bare home mean that you are living simply, nor does it mean that you will be free from stress and somehow find more happiness. Nor is minimalism next to godliness. Rather simple living means that you find happiness in the simple things in life. And yes, your possessions can bring you happiness...they are not idols or stress-causers. And I am not a person who finds empty white walls, bare surfaces, capsule wardrobes of a set number of articles of clothing, and no personal touches a cozy life or home. (If that is your personal taste, more power to ya.) Minimalism kills individuality and creativity...so many minimalists wardrobes and homes look the exact same, it's ridiculously funny. I think that a lot of people who practice minimalism are doing so simply because it is a trend and popular and the thing to do, but when the next trend comes along, they'll be right there first in line to jump on board. Being a non-minimalist doesn't mean you are materialistic or a heavy spender or a hoarder. I might even say some of those things could be true for lots of minimalists.
A perfectly kept home is the sign of a misspent life.
-Mary Randolph Carter-
Simple living finds happiness and delight in sitting on the porch in the evening and having long chats after dinner. It's reading a novel before bed or baking fresh bread in the morning. It finds goodness in the world of home and yet also sees the beauty of the grand world waiting for you to explore. It's making tasks like cleaning and tidying a home enjoyable and fun. Simple living is really that...it's simple. It cultivates beauty in the ordinary, everyday rhythms of our lives and seeks to create abundance within those moments. As my sister says, a home filled with things that some might call clutter is simply the evidence of a life lived there. A home should tell the story of those who live there and that is only possible when you reject the trend of minimalism. As a favorite quote says, "a home should feel collected not decorated."
Clutter is the poetry of our homes. It is an intimate view that is not always perfect- a few dishes in the sink, books piled next to the bed. A lived-in room exudes comfort and warmth.
-Mary Randolph Carter-
Slower and softer living doesn't mean you live a small life without adventure and fun and ever going anywhere further than 30 miles from your home. Not at all. I'm a firm believer that this world is beautiful and magical and full of wonder and we were meant to go see it. But even that is done in such a way that you don't miss the beauty you set out to see in the first place. It's living in such a way that you appreciate the things that truly matter in life. You live with a desire to be alive to the beauty of the world and are in pursuit of such beauty, cultivating it, seeking it and cherishing it. It's living with your senses attuned to what's around you so you can soak up the moments and be present and allow the magic to transform your perspectives. It's living in such a way that you are tending and nurturing your body, mind and soul, along with those around you...in gentle ways. It's having rhythms and rituals everyday that allow you to see the beauty in the ordinary...even in the midst of daily tasks, household activities, and yes, even in spite of the news around the world. It's seeing the world as the enchanted place it is and becoming reenchanted ourselves, despite what the cynics would have us to believe, both about the world and ourselves. It's about truly living and being grateful for every moment and striving to live as wild and free and magically as we were created to.
I'd love to hear how you seek to live softly and slowly in your everyday life, so please share below and let's inspire one another.
May your day be magical, dear ones!
♥