Hard work as simple living. {Heather Anne}

This last Saturday I spent the afternoon at a friend's house enjoying some time with my spinning wheel. It was quiet there just she and I. We chatted, as friends do and she started asking me about my daily routine. I explained to her that everyday is about the same. I make at least 2 loaves of bread, sometimes more depending on what is for dinner. I tend our crops, clean the house, feed the worms, teach the children etc.

She asked me if I cook everything from scratch and I replied that in fact I did. She seemed surprised and said that it was too much hard work for her liking, that it was just easier to buy bread, pancake mix etc.

Perhaps she is right, it just might be easier, but not simpler. I could perhaps line my pantry with ready made mixes and boxes of instant food, to me however that just seems like a waste. While it is true that making everything from scratch, much like everything in my everyday routine is hard work, to our family it is simpler. It is more economical to buy the components and make the food ourselves. Our children receive a better education at home than they would attending public school. We are kinder to the planet (and again to our wallets) by growing our own food to eat. If I spin my own yarn I know where the fiber has come from and can choose local suppliers that I know treat their animals with love and care.

Working hard never bothered me, and once our family reaches our goal the work will get that much harder, but simpler at the same time. To some extent it is my humble opinion that modern conveniences have robbed us of our ability to enjoy and appreciate hard work. The world seems to want everything so fast, their food , their TV, internet access all have to be on demand. There is a joy in watching something slowly bloom, rise, or evolve. The "hard work" is rewarding when you see the out come.

To me what I do everyday is not hard work, but merely acts of simplicity that helps slow down my families pace of life. We take time to be grateful and rejoice in what we are doing in the moment and don't feel a need to rush to the next.

That is the reward for us, removing ourselves from that outside world crashing in telling us to rush rush rush.

What do you think? Has your hard work made your life simpler as it has ours? How has your lives been changed by living simply?