“To be satisfied with a little, is the greatest wisdom; and he that increaseth his riches incresaseth his cares; but a contented mind is a hidden treasure, and trouble findeth it not.”

– Akhenaton, Pharaoh of Egypt

Some people take great pleasure in Spring cleaning.  As for me, I love the feeling of cleaning, gleaning, repairing, and streamlining that comes with the start of Fall.  Today is the day.  Until the middle of this week, Summer owned the thermometer, and any time spent working on end-of-summer tasks left us overheated, stewing in our own juices, and ready to rest after only a short time.  Now the temperatures have dropped enough that I can pull on my hooded sweatshirt before setting out to walk; and I know that even when the day begins to warm, I will be cool and comfortable as I work toward preparing for winter to come.

There is no time of year when I feel more strongly the value of simplicity.  I pick the apples that hang ripe on my backyard tree and feel the comfort of knowing that we will not go hungry.  I pull the plants from my garden that have lived their life span and now have finished their work; and I realize how much bounty we have enjoyed from only a small patch of soil.  I take inventory of the summer items that have sprouted all over our yard and porch and decide which ones will fit into the space I have to store them and which ones will be donated to new owners who now will have their turn to enjoy them.

I will straighten my kitchen cabinets — a task that most folks do in the Spring — but one that I like to do before winter.  It makes me think that maybe my ancestors lived in places that grew very cold, places where it was important to store enough food to last until Spring.  Most of all, I will walk with the energy of crisp morning air carrying me along.  I will watch the leaves fall silently, one by one, until the day arrives when the trees are bare-boned and gray; and I will follow their example and leave behind those things that have served their summer purpose.

There is a sense of loss in simplifying, just as there is a feeling of ending that comes with the Fall; but wisdom tells us that we must let go of that which no longer enriches our lives so that new things can take its place.  As I gather the Fall leaves and spread them on my garden soil, I will think of them decaying and leaving their essence in the soil of next Spring so that new life can grow on the back of their death.  I will walk toward winter with a contented mind and celebrate the treasure of a simple life.