living simply

Now that we are here, we love it! We feel so content in our small space, with only a few necessities (cappuccino machine!) to keep us comfortable.

Now when I go into the house, I see it for the beautiful home that it is, but I don’t miss living in it. The echoes of our children’s laughter, along with their heights written in pencil on the wall, are reminders of the wonderful years we spent in it.

But now that we are on our own, with our son and daughter having flown the coop (texts and e-transfers the extent of our parenting), we have a renewed sense of joy.

This is astonishing to me. I remember, in my twenties, living in a small space and hoping to one day own a home. After many years of renting, I met my future husband and we happened upon a foreclosure sale and bid on it. Despite living in two different cities, we found ourselves mutual homeowners.

This all happened in September, 2001. NOT a great time to withdraw RRSP’s for a down-payment, as the markets were in turmoil after 9/11. We scraped up the $6,500 to qualify for the mortgage and proceeded to finish the inside of our “built to lock up” court-ordered sale.

Fast-forward 14 years. Both kids have graduated and moved on. We found ourselves rattling around the house and feeling anxious, not knowing why. Turns out we just needed a change.

So bigger is not always better, and living like a 20-something in a one bedroom studio is the best thing that’s happened to our marriage. We are physically closer (least of all that you can toss the dish cloth in the sink from the couch), which brings a new intimacy into our relationship. We share this space with our two dogs, who have adjusted totally to the switch.

Now when I vacuum, the zen is abundant.

Simply abundant.

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