Living Simply

"All I really need is a song in my heart, food in my belly, and love in my family."  -Raffi

"Wouldn't it be great if no one ever got offended? Wouldn't it be great to say what's really on your mind?"

- Great Big Sea (Newfoundland folk rock band)

There comes a point in life where you begin to notice and evaluate your life's constructs.  It may begin with a nagging feeling that something doesn't fit or feel right in your heart. How is the interconnectedness of the family as a whole? How important is parental guidance?  Do other caring adults play a role in my child's life? Is my child's emotional and mental health okay? Do they feel pressure with grades and tests? Pressure thinking about or applying to colleges?  Time management or friendships? In time, you may begin to ask "why" and question our culture and social constructs often.  Why the constant rush, hurry and stress? Do we overschedule our days and encourage constant competion? How important is academic success and straight A's? Do we desire our kids to play sports and be involved in after school and weekend activities? If so- how will that influence our family? Do we share dinner together as a family most evenings? What are our goals and ending satisfaction? Money? Prestige? Accomplishment? What is our purpose- our goal? Why and how do we follow certain "expected" societal rules and norms? What about social media use and screen time? What kind of human beings do I hope my children are and will be? Do I foster and model trust, respect, closeness and openess? How can I best nurture my children's mental health, confidence and strength? Am I raising my daughter to advocate for and trust her innate self?  Am I raising my son to avoid toxic masculinity, and to treat girls and women with respect and compassion?  How do we openly discuss LGBTQ+ rights, poverty, people with disabilities, multiculturalism and climate change?  How do we explain war, famine, and violence? What about our finances- how much money do we need and how much makes us comfortable?  Do we have enough? What are our kids being exposed to every day- in any environment?  How important is their (and our) daily nutrition, sleep totals and stress levels? What really matters in this life, anyway?  How could I consider and develop a slower pace and be more present for my family?

Living simply- is it realistic these days? With so many opportunties available- what should we pick and choose for our children?  Do they get to choose, or do you? How important is adaptability? The bottom line is, every decision we make is an offering to the paths our families and lives will follow, now and in the future.  Now sets the precedent for the future- even how our children will live and parent themselves someday. In the nature vs nurture debate, it is clear that many human traits are innate, and many are fostered by the way we are raised.  I see traits of myself and my husband in both of our children, but they are always uniquely themselves.  We see them presenting ideas themselves and not being content with complacency. We follow our intuition and feel every day we give our best effort and best selves.  Authenticity takes courage. Time is our most precious resource and we all value that immensely.  What are some of the decisions and questions you have for your path?