I still have so many boxes squirreled away that still need unpacking. And I still have lots and lots of stuff in storage, which some day I will need to sort through again.
And I still have clutter piling up in corners and on counter tops, and I still have the daily challenge of keeping the chaos and disorder at bay.
And I still get too stressed about things that don’t really matter in the present moment, and I still hold onto hurt feelings, and resentments, and anxieties longer than I should.
But still, but still….
There is always today to practice one small act of simple living. There is always today for one, simple experiment in living deliberately.
And there is always this moment, just to be still.
I can’t imagine writing this last blog entry without also taking this moment to express my gratitude to those of you who have shared with me in this journey. Back in January, I didn’t think I would end up with more than 200 followers, almost 500 comments, and over 6,500 views….
Those numbers are overwhelming, but they are just numbers, after all. It’s you who have made a difference, taking the time to read these words, right now.
Some of you I’ve never met in person, but in reading and responding to your comments–and in reading and commenting on your blogs–I’ve felt a connection develop over the past 365 days. That means you, Revdarkwater, and you, Theresea–and Living Not Wanting, and Anne, and Julie, and Kellie, and Lauren… and others too, off and on, over the past year.
And an extra special thanks to those of you who I knew before this blog began, and who have followed along since the beginning. I feel that you’ve come to know me better, and in ways that I don’t always share in public settings. Your comments and our conversations, here and by email, on the phone and in person, have made this experience much more of a dialogue than a solitary reflection. So thanks Rex, my first blog follower, and thanks Jay, and thanks Liz, and thanks upon thanks to you, Tamara.
And a final thanks to my wife and my children, of course. We’ve all been through this year together. And it has been quite a year of change. I love you all.
And now–how to end? Would it be too self-indulgent to quote Whitman (“I depart as air”) or Emerson (“Every end is a beginning”) or good, old Thoreau (“Let us spend one day as deliberately as Nature”)?
Or do I end with just a simple acknowledgement that from Day One I’ve always realized that this blog is more scaffolding than anything else, and that the time has come to move on?
Or do I end, like this–with more questions than answers, and accepting that I am still OK with that?
Happy New Year, all. And may your coming year be filled with wonder and joy, one moment at a time.
365 Simplify 