Haiti and Us

Yesterday the Haiti situation had me a bit tied up in knots. The devastaion and death is of course surreal. Then I started to focus on the poverty. The sheer level of poverty. I've lived for a good chunk of time in a third world county in poor conditions, not abject poverty, but meager, a very modest existence living off the land. There was no electricity or hot water, if I wanted a bath I had to heat up a huge cauldron of water.


It occured to me today that those were the most pleasurable bubble baths of my life. Baths taken by kerosene light, my body ached from a day of physical work, that water felt so good. There were times I'd fall asleep in the little tub, and still today I adore the scent of kerosene lamp.


It was such a pleasure to pick ripe fruit from the fruit trees, all that juicy sweetness, and subsequent stickiness. Oh and those little evening sing-alongs that the villagers hosted every night,  remember no electricity, no TV, no TV people gather and talk and sing and tell stories,  laugh and connect, all the time.


I found myself longing for that time. Then I realized that my reaction of yesterday, essentially wanting to sweep all the material "stufff" from my life in one sweep, was really a dishonoring of the source that has provided all this "stuff" that is in my life. Fact is all this "stuff"/ clutter I am longing to rid myself of, it is abundance. It is abundance that I sometimes squander in my quest for simplification. I realized I need to stop and appreciate all that I have, really appreciate and give deep deep thanks for all the blessings in my life. Our health, our love, and yes, our stuff too.


It does not mean that I should not simplify and streamline, I want to, and I will continue to do it. I feel a deep need to do it. I do think I will be more careful what I send to trash, I will attempt to give more away.

I will try to consciously honor all the material things in my life as I pass them on to someone who can make renewed good use of them. I no longer want to "declutter" in an aggressive "get rid of" way. Now I long to gently pass along, and give new life to all the things that are asking to be loved elsewhere by someone new.