Living Simply Isn't So Simple

In theory, I believe in living simply.  In practice, it's not so simple.

What I planned on:  living my whole life in Cedar City where I was born and mostly raised.
What I got: living on three continents and in six states. I've had so many addresses I can't remember half of them.

What I intended: a small one bedroom rustic cabin in the woods.
What we ended up with: a three floor home on a mountain.

My stage in life: Way past the acquisition phase.
Reality: Amazon Prime.

What I consider necessities in the refrigerator: fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs, butter, milk, cheese.
What consumes 75% of the space in our fridge: bottles! Hot peppers, pickles, adobo sauce, peanut sauce, chili-garlic sauce, mayonnaise, three kinds of mustard, fish sauce, must I go on?

Necessities in the medicine cabinet: Advil, vaseline, antibiotic ointment, band-aids, razor, tweezers.
My medicine cabinet: 6 shelves spilling over with tubes, bottles, packets, sprays, foams, gels....

I realize these are first-world problems and feel like an ingrate, but the Sargent motto, "Too much of anything is just the right amount," was never applied to stuff. Staying up late talking, homemade salsa, number of children (in my case) and butt-kicking adventures can't be overdone, but I should have better followed Mom's model of frugality and non-consumption. Instead I married a man who, thankfully, enjoys running errands; but who can never buy just one of anything.  "I wasn't sure which sunscreen to get," and plops down waterproof, not waterproof, SPF 30, 50, 75 and spray-on. Having multiples of everything is only compounded with two homes.

So how to live more consistently with my ideal of simplicity? Going through the closets and shelves, keeping only those things that I use or that I treasure is a starting place. Buying quality and taking care of it forever.  Spending resources on things that bring joy. Consuming--in every sense of the word--less but enjoying it more.

I want to live the rest of my life consistent with my values, not those of the world. Serving a mission will be a good antidote to over consuming. Living for a year and a half with what we can bring with us in two suitcases will focus us on what matters: serving, loving, learning and savoring small pleasures.