Pretty Simple
Sheltered under my father’s giant sunflowers.
My dad was a man of few hobbies. He was too busy working full-time to put food on the table for his family, maintaining a house and garden to do much else.
He focused all of his attention and energy on family, and that made all of his other decisions in life pretty simple. I once asked why he wasn’t interested in travelling to Europe, and he said, “Why? I don’t know anyone in Europe.”
As an adult, I find myself thinking about my dad and his simple approach to life.
He wasn’t interested in climbing any corporate ladders, taking on a leadership role like supervisor or manager. He was content to do his best for his employer and their customers as a floor installer.
At the end of his work day, he would come back home and sit down for a few minutes before getting to work on his massive vegetable garden that required vigilant attention. Or, he cut the grass in summer, cleaned the driveway in winter, or fixed some house issue like a leaky pipe or burnt out lightbulb.
By contrast, I think about how complicated I have made my own life – constantly looking for and taking opportunities for further education and training; looking for and taking on jobs with more and more responsibility; trying to pay attention to and keep up with trends in clothes and hairstyles.
These past 19 months of the COVID-19 pandemic have forced me to slow down and, with numerous lockdowns and limited access to shopping, entertainment, and travel, provided me an opportunity to reflect on what is truly important.
“Be a curator of your life. Slowly cut things out until you’re left only with what you love, with what’s necessary, with what makes you happy.”
The other day I found myself Google searching “how to live a simpler life”. It turns out I am not alone in my longing for a slower, simpler life. A substantial slow living movement has been underway for several years and is gaining momentum.
I thought about my dad and what I can learn from his example – spend more time and energy working on my home and prioritizing the people I love. When you think about it, it’s pretty simple.