As I grow older there is less and less that i want. I like to travel and haven’t done nearly as much as I would like in the last few years, but what little I have enjoyed is more than most people in the world ever have the privilege of doing. Once my maternal grandmother traveled across the ocean from Slovakia she never left again Texas. The truth is that she rarely left her house. Day after day she awoke and prepared a big pot of coffee. She swept and mopped, washed clothes and cooked for her family. She was quite content to live exactly as she did. It took very little to bring a smile to her face. A loaf of dark rye bread or a visit from one of her many children was enough to make her day.
Grandma Ulrich wore cotton dresses with the sleeves cut out so that she might stay cool. She was not one to use the air conditioner in the window of her living room unless she had a guest. The rest of the time she adjusted to whatever temperature Mother Nature sent her way. The only time she wore shoes was in the winter. The rest of the year she kept her chubby feet free from any kind of impingement. She wore her hair in a long braid that trailed down her back until one of her children tried to modernize her with a pair of scissors. She often wore an army hat that must have once belonged to my Uncle Paul who never married and stayed in the house to take care of her. Nothing about her suggested that she wanted more out of her life than she already had.
I often think of my grandmother’s contentment with her life and realize how unique she was in wanting only what she needed and nothing more. Growing up in a middle class society in which possessions, money, status are so often valued I know that in spite of myself I many times had a less than satisfied attitude. I wanted a bigger house, a flashier car, beautiful clothes, wealth that was a bit more conspicuous. Now I am at a stage in life at which I realize that most of those things matter so little.
Of course I want a safe and sturdy house that will see me through the storms of life but the idea of a showiy mansion or more upscale neighborhood no longer tempts me. I mostly like to keep things clean and repaired around the place and I enjoy working in my garden unless it is really hot. Sadly the high temperatures endure for most of the year so I spend a great deal of my time just looking out the windows of my great room into the back yard that is filled with my favorite flowers. The birds that come to my feeders are especially fun to see but even they take a break and hide out somewhere on especially hot days. That’s when I pull out my books and read.
My father read to me from the time I was small. He made me believe that reading is one of life’s greatest gifts. It’s how he relaxed after a long day at work and his taste in genres was as eclectic as mine. When Hurricane Harvey was inundating much of the Houston area I moved my favorite tomes to the second story to save them in the event of water flooding the downstairs rooms. What’s funny is that I never thought of moving my jewelry. I guess I figured that I would just dry it off if it got wet or maybe I realized that it did not mean as much to me as my books.
I enjoy quiet, solitude. I am happiest when I only hear the sounds of nature and my neighbors moving about. I mostly enjoy the laughter of the children who are growing almost as fast as my own daughters did. Their games and interactions change as the years go by and I know that I will miss them when they grow up and move away. They do not know how much delight they have given me just by being themselves.
I get very excited when I have an opportunity to go teach math to someone. I have been with several families who homeschool their children for many years now. I still have a few of the youngest ones left and I look forward to being with them during the school year. My teaching genes run deep and I have not yet been able to completely retire from the vocation that has been my holy grail.
I am quite content with my life at pesent save for what I see happening in the political arena in my country and my state. It seems as though the only irritation that I feel with my present life comes from the worries that I have regarding how so many horrific decisions are hurting people who are not as fortunate as I have always been When I shop at the grocery store I find myself thinking about how anxious my mother would have been over the prices. I can almost picture her working hard to feed us within the confines of her means. She had to be quite creative with her spending even sixty years ago but the challenges would be so much worse today.
I wish that everyone might feel as content as I do. I know that I have been quite lucky to be able to enjoy the mundane. it’s a clear sign that I have always been one of the lucky people on this earth. I have had all that I need so that I have the time to immerse myself in simple pleasures. I wish that it were so for everyone but I see the suffering in the world and feel a fracture in my heart. If only I were able to send food to those who are starving and provide a safe place to sleep to those who are homeless. Those are my only wants. Sadly they are pretty big wants in the moment but I can still find joy in the mundane while hoping that we humans learn how to share a bit more.
All It Takes Is A Little Love 