Stuff

What would you like for your birthday?

Why is this such a hard question for us? With birthdays within five days of each other, Brian and I have been pondering this question individually and jointly for weeks. Mostly for the benefit of our families, who are eager to shower us with their generosity and have been waiting for the email to inform them how to shop. What would we like for our birthdays?

Stuff has never been a huge part of my life. We didn't have a lot of new stuff growing up, and making my own money has mostly led me to spend it with Scrooge-like practically with the biggest sales and most inexpensive solutions to needs and desires. While I never had much new stuff, I always liked stuff, and a simple walk through Target makes it clear that I'm their target market. Purses, scarves, bathing suits, jewelry. Stationary, stickers, journals. Music, dvds, books. Pillows, tableware, vases, mirrors. Candy, pretzels, soda. Sigh. All this stuff to enjoy life more.

Since getting married and getting tons of new stuff, I've been working to build a life and enjoy the life we've built more. It seemed like the perfect start, with shiny new knives and fluffly towels, crisp sheets, an HD TV. This great new stuff to start a new life. But seven months later, what do we want for our birthdays? Please, not stuff.

We stew and ponder the question. What can we use? What do we need? Okay, well then, what do we want? While there are a few things I could think of that might be fun (and many more waiting for me on endcaps at Target), our answer is an anticlimatic...money for our bills? I guess I'll need an eye exam soon? How about a grocery store gift card?

What we want, and what will mean the most, is to live simply. To live on the least possible. And after every apartment cleaning, we purge the unneeded stuff, every time. The longer we're in this place, the less we wish we owned. It feels like a purer form of living, and intentional.

While I will need new sneakers soon, necessitating a trip through the Target shoe aisles (danger), and sometimes it's nice to have something shiny and new, I'm going to ride this trend as long as possible. It's making room for creativity and thought and much refection (of course). Valuing the stuff we have (as I'm certainly not giving up those gorgeous knives). Being excited by having a little extra room in the drawers.

Mom and Dad, you can get us eye exams. :)