What I mean is we're interested in people who eschew the so called usual way of doing things and seek alternatives that focus on producing a better quality of life. This almost invariably means cultivating a sense of contentment with the simpler things in life and making a concious choice not to be a slave to money and consumerism. We've tried to adopt this own culture within our family, feeling as we do that our daughter and future children will probably benefit, spiritually and emotionally.
I'm not saying we always manage this however. Me? I have an unhealthy penchant for 'pretty things', retro kitchenware, coffee table books, expensive food and the such. And my new financial status as a stay at home mother does not lend itself to this. I sometimes forget that I can no longer just go to London for the day at a moment's notice or have a lunchtime splurge in a quirky home-wares store. I'm on a steep learning curve.
Hubby on the other hand, struggles with reconciling his serious dislike for cynical capitalism and his desire to make enough money so that he need not work 12 plus hours a day in a stressful job. He's been there, done that and got the t-shirt.
What we both hope to achieve is a family life where family really does come before jobs and money. We want to find the balance between giving our children the necessary things in life and striving for more simply to fulfil our own selfish ambitions.
Nowhere is this emotional battleground more prolific than in our home...we're a family or 3 (4 if you count the cat) living in a small 2 bed mid-terrace. Hubby bought this house for himself about 6 years ago, as a young single man enjoying the freedoms of his then bachelor life. And for a single guy, this place is perfect. It's really close to the city centre, within walking distance of work and all the shops and night-life. There was ample room for everything he wanted and needed plus enough space for guests to stay over in the spare bedroom. He bought it as an empty shell of a house and slowly worked on it, eventually producing a perfect bachelor pad. Think minimalist furniture, lots of chrome and dark wood. He held parties here, got to know his neighbours and spent many happy Saturday evenings holed up on the couch with a bottle of red listening to Bob Harris on Radio 2.
I'm proud of Hubby for many reasons, but working flat out and saving every last penny so that he could buy his own home and build a nest egg for his future is something really special I think. And as a result, this house is, rightly, very important to him.
Me, on the other hand, well I came into a much loved and completely 'finished' house that had a very specific look and lay-out. Which is a little unfortunate really, since my own collection of objects leans rather dramatically towards the quirky and colourful. I love bright tea-pots and floral cake tins...tea-towels are much better when shaded in candy colours and nothing in this world can beat a big vase of fresh flowers.
Because of this clash of tastes, we have both on many occasions had to make compromises and sacrifice things we love to keep the place looking relatively neat and orderly.
But no matter how much stuff we get rid of, this place is a real squeeze for 2 adults, 1 baby and a feline friend. Or at least it feels that way to me at times...
We have been discussing moving since last year. And as the months tick by, I am getting more and more antsy to do it. Patience is not my strong point. Hubby though, ever cool, calm and collected is adamant that we will wait until conditions are just right. No hasty decisions, NO risky business. He is of course, completely right and at the last count, we might be in a new house by the end of the summer...subject to conditions!
So I am looking at a good few more months in our little home...and it is here that I really need reminding about what it is I am really striving for in life. This is where my interest and my high regard for those maverick, 'alternative lifestyle' folks comes in very handy.
I know, deep down, that bigger houses and pretty things don't actually make people happier. They just make life more convenient sometimes. Life is what you make it and a positive attitude is all that is needed to foster a spirit of contentment and cheerfulness. Galatians 5:22 in the NT speaks so beautifully about the fruits of the Holy Spirit...and of course joy and peace are amongst them. Contentment isn't just a way of life. It is God's will for our lives.
Luckily for me, blog-land is absolutely bursting with folks who have mastered the art of appreciation and live really full, happy, productive, Spirit-filled lives in situations that would turn alot of people into miserable, hard-done-bys. In fact, some of these folks seek out living conditions that challenge them to find contentment and fulfilment in the simple things.
And in my view, this family have absolutely cracked it. They are a Christian family of 4, who having sold their comfortable 3 bedroom home, rented a tiny 1 bed flat before deciding to radically down-size and travel around for a year in an RV. Did I mention that they just had their second baby?
Contentment absolutely abounds in the writings of this woman! Her life is a huge inspiration to me to quit whinging, stop looking ahead to 'the next step' and start appreciating how immensely lucky I am to have a comfortable, warm, safe house in which to raise my daughter.
I too, want to be filled with the fruits of the Spirit.
http://walkslowlylivewildly.com/
'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control'. Galatians 5:22
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