Speaking of simplicity...

A little gem from my favorite poet; it goes so well with my previous post:
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"I Have Found Such Joy"
Grace Noll Crowell

I have found such joy in simple things;
A plain, clean room, a nut-brown loaf of bread,
A cup of milk, a kettle as it sings,
The shelter of a roof above my head,
And in a leaf-laced square along the floor,
Where yellow sunlight glimmers through a door.

I have found such joy in things that fill
My quiet days: a curtain's blowing grace,
A potted plant upon my window sill,
A rose, fresh-cut and placed within a vase;
A table cleared, a lamp beside a chair,
And books I long have loved beside me there.

Oh, I have found such joys I wish I might
Tell every woman who goes seeking far
For some elusive, feverish delight,
That very close to home the great joys are:
The elemental things - old as the race,
Yet never, through the ages, commonplace.

Saturation Point

sat·u·ra·tion point – noun

Definition: “Limit to scope for expansion: the point at which no more can be added.”

I don’t know when it happened, exactly, but somewhere along the way I seem to have reached the saturation point when it comes to material possessions. And not just in a physical, running-out-of-places-to-put-things sense, although my storage closets do seem to require “No Vacancy” signs these days. This feeling of “No more, please!” goes beyond a mere lack of shelf space. The concept of an uncluttered, simplified lifestyle resonates with my soul; I long to live more simply in the midst of this modern existence. But I’m still trying to figure out how to make that a reality, practically speaking.

It’s gotten to where I almost dread Christmas and my birthday because I know I’m going to end up with more stuff… stuff that has to be put somewhere. Now I know why so often, when older people have birthday celebrations, they put on the invitation: “No gifts, please.” I’m not that old, but I understand getting to the point where things become a burden instead of a joy. It’s like, the first piece of cake is delicious, but if you were to keep eating and eating…you’d eventually be sickened by the thought of another bite. Too much of a good thing and all that.

I own more than many people in the world…so much more than I need. My perfume shelf is full, my jewelry box is full, my closet is full, my bookshelves are more than full…I have more pretty stationery and cards than I’ll probably ever be able to use in my lifetime. I’m running out of storage space in the kitchen, and the garage is overflowing. I am in need of nothing – and save the occasional new book or DVD release, I want nothing.

We remodeled our home a couple of years ago, and when it came time to clean out the closets I happily tossed items into a huge bin to give away, glad for the chance to simplify and de-clutter. Yet even though we got rid of a lot, and we own less than many other people I know, it still seems like we just have too much.

Has anyone else reached the “possessions saturation point” or am I the only one feeling overwhelmed by the stuff I own and longing for more simplicity?