Tiny Living Phenomenon

To those who share interest in tiny living:

I can’t lie! I am obsessed with the Tiny house movement. If I were single, I would so buy a tiny home and live the nomad lifestyle in a heartbeat!

The funny thing is, it is more about having less junk cluttering up my life and the idea of being able to live anywhere I want that speaks to me than it is about actually living in a small space. I love the idea of having less to take care of and having furniture and items that serve multiple functions in my space. I also am drawn to the fact that most of the people living in these tiny spaces are doing it in part to become debt free and to give them the opportunity to make travel a priority. Both of those topics speak volume to my desire for my future with my husband.

Yes, I used to marvel at the homes on the “parade of homes” in the fancy neighborhoods, with their big-screen TVs, huge kitchens, large decks, and high ceilings; somewhere where there would be plenty of room for family and friends to come over and spend time. The fact is, though, that I am one of those people who has less friends, but those I have are very good ones, and they would be happy to come see me in any size house I have. I don’t desire the big house anymore.

It isn’t that I see anything wrong with those who do want a big house. Their priorities are just as valid as mine, just different.

I believe that I truly started feeling the need to simplify my life when my father passed away in 2001. He and my mother were children of the Great Depression era, and they held on to things “just in case.” The entire generation was like this, and understandably so. I’ve never seen the kind of poverty in the US that they saw growing up. They lived through two world wars and saw loss that most of us have never seen since.

Both of my parents were also very sentimental; a trait that I also inherited from them. I’m glad I am sentimental like them. They were the best parents, and I’m blessed to have had them in my life. However, this sentimental streak has caused accumulation of knickknacks and antiques and excess stuff that really aren’t serving a purpose any longer in my life. It took over 5 months to clear out my dad’s apartment when he passed away. We had to look through stacks of newspapers, as many family photos were stored in between them. The best find when going through everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, was finding my mom’s wedding ring, which had been lost since she passed away eleven years earlier.

To make a long story short, that experience has made me realize that holding on to everything that meant something to my grandparents, my parents, or even to me, is not emotionally healthy to me, nor is it something I want to leave my own children burdened with when it comes my time to meet my Maker.

So, I’m now on a downsizing mission. I don’t need a smaller home to start this process. In fact, if I start now, it will cost a lot less to move when we do downsize after our kids move out. It will save me the worry of leaving my kids with decisions I should be making now so they won’t have to worry about it when I’m gone. It is a gift I can give them while I’m still living.

I also see this path to minimize my belongings as a way to lift my own spirit, as it eventually will give me more freedom to enjoy a less stressful life. Less possessions = less cleaning = less stress = more time for more fun and more balance in my life.

So I can start to live a tinier life even if I’m not in a tiny house. I’m not writing that off for my future, though. 😊 We’ll see what life brings, but in the meantime, I’m all for simplifying and lightening my load of possessions to prepare for a more serene future.

I’d love to hear what you are doing to downsize or just to simplify your life. Feel free to comment below and share your thoughts. We all can use encouragement in our journey called life.

Linda

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