A Letter to my Son

Dear Son, Summer is in full swing with just a hint of being on the fading side. Before you know it Autumn will be here, but right now our lives are full of yard projects, home repairs, barbecues, long drives in the country side, and back yard picnics. This past week was a whirlwind of projects and lovely visits from friends. An interesting topic came up while we were chatting over tea. It seems that many of our friends think I have expensive tastes. This took me back at bit as I looked around our home decorated with recycled, refurbished, and donated items (practically all of our furniture came from friends who just had an extra such and such laying around); so I asked what made them think that way? The answer was because everything in our home is so open and matches. They think our home looks like a magazine. This made me laugh. To be fair that was the look I was going for, but there is a little rule that we try to live by that makes this all work out. We simply don't keep what we don't need, are choosy about what we put into our home, and value our empty spaces. "Empty" is such a subjective word here. For where other people see 'emptiness', we see memories. Little tokens and walls of photographs are nice... In moderation, but before to long a small memento collection can overtake a home and then all you are left with is clutter. Keeping our 'special memento collection' small, keeps it more special for us and our house open and free. With all the time we save from having to dust and organize such a collection, we are free to make more memories. Free to do yard projects, home repairs, barbecues, long drives in the country side, and back yard picnics. 

I've heard the argument that time and energy spent on cleaning up and keeping a home in order takes away from making memories. To that I simply say.. Keeping a home clean means that 'clean-up' is faster making more time for memories; and we all work together so that 'clean-up time' is also memory making time. 

Keep the important things in your life special, and try to minimize the clutter. 

I love you with all my heart. Shine on.

Love, Mum~