simple living: sara lewis shelton bagby

my grandmother was a remarkable woman.  she lived vigorously through the great depression, the loss of her beloved husband at a tragically young age, raising a child as a single mother in times not built for supporting such a plight, and charging through her 90-plus years full of spunk and veracity.  named after her, i enjoyed spending many nights with her and following her around.  we baked, sewed, traveled to see her friends in the "country," attended CWF meetings and picnics, 55-Alive AAA driving courses, travelogue meetings on Scotland, and various other things she loved and i too learned to enjoy. 

most striking to me now was her wholistic embrace of simple  living.  these traits were born from hard times, but pervaded her life until the very end.  she scraped butter from the wrapper to use every last morsel and reused her disposable paper napkin for a week.  nothing was wasted.  she made her own clothes and invested in quality when she did make a purchase.  she canned fresh vegetables in the summer and prized smoked meats from her relatives in the "country." 

proud to be her namesake, i reflect almost daily on the skills i saw her use while i was a child.  i think of her when i can vegetables in the summer, and when i knit hats for my kids because they need them for the winter.  rather than buying expensive and toxic cleaning supplies, i use simple vinegar and water to freshen our surfaces.  isn't that what she would have done?  when gathering eggs, i think about the stories she and my dad told about not being able to reach into the nest some days because it was occupied by a snake - and i hope not to meet the same sight!

in everything she did, my grandmother strove to be self-sufficient, frugal, thorough, and a good steward of all she had.  i'm writing this as i reach the one-third point of her lifetime, and realizing how far i have to grow!  i pursue simple living as a lifestyle, a hobby, and a value.  it is with joy that i recognize the blessings i have had in my life that give me the choice to live simply, not the dire straits obligation.  i am blessed to have had her as a model for this, and pray that i may continue to follow a simple path toward whole living.  in this i believe....