Choosing Simplicity

     Choosing simplicity stretches my resolve.  I say I want to leave a little extra room in every drawer, and in every closet, not room to add more, only room to breathe.  I say I want our family to lower our desires, just a bit, and learn contentment.  That's my abstract goal.  However, in the particulars it's hard to choose less.
     This is Ally's shirt drawer, one part of our task yesterday.  We emptied them all out on the floor and purged the old, the out grown, the stained, the shirts less modest than they seemed in the fitting room, and the few that Ally just didn't care for.  Whew!  That alone is a lot, but that is the easy part.  Then we assessed what she needs for this summer.  One pair of jeans, we always buy these used, and one shirt to match a picky skirt.  That's it?  Well...wouldn't it be fun to pick out one or two other things?  We have the money, we have the space.  Resolved...to have less.  Remind me in the store.
     Taking advantage of the rainy afternoon, we emptied out all the boys' clothes today.  Here I am stretched indeed.  I have decided Arden only needs five tee-shirts and two church shirts because we have a washing machine and dryer and they work.  Oh, but the hand-me-down box has ten nice short sleeve tees.  Free!  This simplicity I think I want isn't just about money, it's about less crowding, less effort, less stuff.  Less.  I fold and stack, fold and stack my piles, because for some reason this is hard for me.  I put away nice tees for later in the summer when this first batch is stained.  Arden's little closet area is still crowded, these in between spring days require both long and short sleeve.  But soon we'll pare down again and resolve to keep it that way.