February 15, 2011

finding peace.


i planned to write to you all yesterday evening about how i save a few bucks here & there. then, without expecting it one bit, luke swept me off my feet. he surprised me with a candlelit dinner in the comfort of our home along with my favorite ice cream, my own copy of “feeding the whole family” {!!!}, a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers & a chocolate bar.


his act of kindness warmed my heart & reminded me of the joy it is to be around him each & everyday. our evening wasn’t spent at some fancy restaurant complete with dozens of roses & sparkly gems.


it was spent sharing conversation by candlelight. it was spent giving him a little hand-knit cozy for his hot drinks. it was spent loving one another fully & finding peace in who we are & what we have together.


finding peace in where you are… i believe that is the heart of cultivating a family, making a home, building community, spending less & saving a little more. once i began to believe that my identity, my future, our marriage & our lives were not centered around what we could have, i started to see what we had in each other. i began to find myself making more responsible choices that would sustain our lives.

i found myself choosing whole foods at the grocery store to prepare with luke in our home for dinner. i began owning up to my indulgent purchases & choosing to make rather than buy what i believed i “needed.”

as i made these small choices one step at a time, our savings began to grow & our quality of life was strengthened.

so, to begin this series- i am reminded, through my husband’s small act of kindness, that finding peace is the foundation for saving. i hope you, too, will look around & find joy in what you have & begin to make small, positive change.

love,
natalie