Minimal Me

In this, my new lifetime, I have chosen a hero. I should call her a heroine but that word always reminds me of a certain drug which, in turn, sends my thought patterns down a path away from my desired train of thought… Where was I? So, Eileen is my minimal hero. Hmm, that makes it sound like she is just a little bit of a hero but, indeed, she has been a huge influencer in changing the course of my life and how I deal with all of my stuff. Eileen has minimalism down to a science. I have, for 70 years, been a keeper of stuff: relatives’ stuff, husbands’ (2) stuff, my stuff, and stuff people have gifted me over many years. Hey, someone gives you a gift, you should keep it forever, right?

Since I am still living in my house, I currently have on the market, I had to pare down to the bare bones. I must admit, it is a work in progress, but I have been able to free myself from so much clutter. I can now swiffer the floors and wipe the counters with little effort, and the house is ready to show to prospective buyers. And it is good. Life is good. In decluttering my surroundings, I have noticed a declutter, and calming, of my inner being. Who knew?

I had never known a real minimalist before. Eileen is a new lifeform. Maybe she is an alien. Alien Eileen, The Minimal Hero, from the planet Minimalis. Hers is a life different from what I have known all my life. Her life is inspiring. I notice she is always working on keeping her minimalist muscles in good shape. Knowing it is a process has helped me not to be frustrated on my journey. I have asked myself, “Do I want to live longer or do I want to live well NOW?” Truthfully, the answer is both but if I must choose, it would be to live well.

I still have a lot of stuff that is “precious” to me but I am dealing with these things daily, first emotionally and then physically. Psalm 24:1 tells us that everything we own has been given to us by God. We are just taking care of stuff for now. Those who lost everything in the 2017 Northern CA fires, as well as the 2025 Southern CA fires, can understand that concept. Hebrews 13:16 tells us that sharing what we have pleases God. Eileen will probably smile at the fact that I have tied her life in to the Bible. What was written to us thousands of years ago has shown itself to be true in her. Bet you never thought of yourself as prophecy fulfilled, did you Eileen?

I am fortunate, and blessed by God, to have a real-life hero dwelling so close to me.