"Gift From the Sea"

 This morning I awoke at 5:30 a.m. (tends to happen when you go to bed the night before at 8:00!), made myself a cranberry, white mocha latte, and settled in to finish reading Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Gift from the Sea.  Although it was written over 50 years ago, the wisdom contained within those 100ish pages is timeless.  I haven't read anything recently that I have found more thought-provoking and truth-filled.  I plan to buy copies for several people for Christmas.  For those of you that haven't read it, I highly recommend it.  One life-lesson that she presents is the art of simplifying.  In my own life, since the death of my mother-in-law on Christmas Eve two years ago, I have given a lot of thought to striving for the future while never really taking the time to enjoy the present.  Giving up my teaching career and gradually decreasing my workload outside of the home so that I can spend more time in creative pursuits have been a big part of that "simplify" philosophy.  Do I have as much money as I once had?  No.  Can I go to the grocery store and buy whatever I want without thinking about the bill when I get to the checkout?  No.  Do I spend as much time at the mall or shopping for clothing that I really don't need?  No.  Am I less stressed and more content with my life?  YES!