PLAIN part 5

"The best things in life are free".
We all know this - but the Amish truly live it.  They say the most valuable thing they have is their families , communities, and faith.  With those 3 things anything is possible.  I so agree.

When you lose someone in your life that means a lot - you realize that looking forward to the future and all the tiny pleasures of life it brings, is vitally important.  Things like a beautiful sunrise or sunset, listening to birds chirping, hearing the laughter of a child, families getting together, the smell of the air after a spring rain, hearing the crunch of fall leaves.......................I could go on and on.  These, my friends are FREE things that can make you smile and change your day.

There is one thing that transcends through both Amish and English, and that is chasing after money and things is meaningless, because the BEST things in life are free.

There has clearly been a money shift in this country.  People know that the economy is/has faltered and they are making changes in their lives.  We are all trying to figure out new ways to do things, new ways to save money, and new ways to provide for our families.  In some ways it appears to me that we are leaning more towards the PLAIN life.  If we learn to live more simply, it will only benefit us in the future.  Lucky for the Amish, the only thing a bad economy will affect for them is their business.  They already have the skills to live on limited means.  They already know how to help family.  They already know how to help community.
Sociologists call this reassessing of our values, time, and money "rightsizing". 
We are learning that wanting more than we can afford is of no value, and the true values in life are things that are free and yield  true rewards to us.

The Amish have no T.V., no computers, no cell phones, etc. to distract them, so they enjoy and help one another.  That is their fun.  We should all strive to be less connected with devices and more connected with people.

I hope these chats about a different type of lifestyle have resounded with everyone and given you something to think about. 
I am trying to pay more attention and be more mindful of my money.  I am trying harder to make do with what I already have.  I am trying to work harder on improving my self -control.  I think I do fairly well - but there is always room for improvement.
I know that I can cut back more and not feel deprived, because I will have peace of mind and less stress in my life.

I hope this series has given you something to think about, and maybe has taught you a thing or two.   I feel closer to my ancestors today than yesterday.  I constantly strive to be more humble and caring as they are.
The Amish have thrived for hundreds of years, and they will probably thrive for hundreds more.  Can we say the same thing?

It appears to me that those bonneted, buggied, button-less folks are on to something and I want to be a part of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PEACE to you all.