Over the past few years many of us had begun to push the envelope on how we spent our time to find enjoyment. We got all the latest gadgets, traveled to exotic places, purchased the “must-have” luxury items. As some of these may still be what we desire, much of that has changed in America since September 11th. Mortality has now become a reminder to us on a day to day basis. The little things that once seemed mundane and simple now feel safe and comforting.
This past week I have read numerous articles in magazines and newspapers, where Americans mentioned that they now find, believe it or not, sewing and knitting worthy pastimes. A daughter told her mom that she just wanted to be close to family. As of today, major retailers reported that sales were down for the month of September…..while discount chains reported increased business. Where once a two hundred dollar pair of shoes were a must for some, now they settle for a forty dollar pair of boat shoes. Our priorities have come back in line. Games like monopoly and book reading and renting a DVD movie have become a routine event. Why is all this happening? Perhaps because now that the future may not look so clear, what truly matters in our lives is rising to the surface, and we are finding ways to experience them all.

When we were children lying in bed at night, if an approaching thunderstorm lit up our rooms with lightening, we were afraid. We thought that terrible things were going to happen, that we would be hurt. The wind would blow, the rain would pour….thunder echoed the room. Slowly a sense of calm would start to take hold, as the rain decreased, and the lightening went away. Storms eventually pass. It never quite seems that way when we are going through them … it is very easy to have a sense that they will never end…..but, they do. The skies clear, and the stars come out. A wise person once said, “It’s the little things that matter the most.” The simple things hold the most value.
Maybe because when all is said and done, life is simple. Can a child find more enjoyment from an expensive, complicated toy, or more pleasure from the simple toy that’s always there? Plain and simple……maybe that’s the way it’s meant to be. It’s interesting in times of crisis we search for ways to get back to the basics. With smelling salts, we realize that maybe what we need most is already there.

Keep it simple,
love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2001 Jennifer Avalon