Magic of Simplicity vs. Packratitude

"Isn't living with simplicity suppose to be...simple?"

When a newsletter article reaches out and grabs me with its words, I take time and take note. Soliciting for The Magnolia Journal, dear Joanna spoke to me as I thought of my sewing, craft room. It begs the question. To paint, I must remove boxes and crates of saved memorabilia. What stays? What goes?
Joanna's words: "I need to be aggressive in my pursuit of simplicity. 
Left to their own devices, these seemingly small things have a way of spiraling out of control. The paring down is worth it. As painful as it sometimes feels, there's nothing quite like the feeling of a lighter load, particularly when you see in hindsight that you were never mean to carry all that stuff anyway."
Choosing simplicity gives room to breathe. It is a personal thing - We intuitively know what areas of our lives need pruning. I am not sure what is in the boxes under the counter. The cabinets are filled. Not one empty space.
These boxes contain relics, archival items saved from three purges. Sentimentality creates "pack-rat-itude."

Junior English classes require students to read portions of Emerson and Thoreau. I designed lessons that would be engaging and personal for my students, even if they read only the portions I selected for group interaction, Agree/Disagree, etc. The students identified most when asked to "go camping like Thoreau at Walden Pond." 

I struggle to pack one "overnight" bag.

Thoreau's statement resonated with them: Why I Went to the Woods - to live deliberately, and not to find that when the time came to die, I had not lived at all.  

"Simplicity may not be magic, but it is a little bit magical," says Joanna.

I'm subscribing to Magnolia Journal - I have a discount and a sticker for free stuff!