I remember a conversation I had with my daughter about friends. I told her that really good friends are rare and precious – and that if she had enough to count on one hand in her lifetime that she would be blessed.

A handful is enough.

When I feel I have enough, gratitude bubbles up. There is very little that I need more than a handful of.  A handful of food will feed me. A handful of flowers will brighten my home. I honestly don’t think I need more than a handful of clothes for each season, I find myself drawn to wearing the same things. A handful of jewelry is enough – that is when I remember to put it on. A handful of books is more than enough at one time. Anything more than a handful of events on my calendar is insanity.

Why do we think we need so much? Coming from a place of lack feeds fear. I think our commercial society perpetuates this feeling that we don’t have enough.  Advertisements tell us that all the time. Do you shop for comfort and then realize that those items eventually become clutter?

Maybe it’s the time of year.

For me January is a blank slate; a time to begin anew. It’s fresh and clean. In January I naturally want to pare down. This weekend I felt that my house was closing in on me and so I de-cluttered – a lot. I realized there are really only a handful of things that I want around me; things that bring back wonderful memories, things that are pleasing to me.

Only a handful – everything else is clutter.

I looked at the things I was ready to part with and remembered why I bought them. An impulse purchase when I was sad or upset, items that I accepted from others when I really didn’t have room for them or they really weren’t my style, things I thought I needed but I really didn’t. But it’s all good – they will go to other people to use and enjoy. My house and I feel lighter.

Maybe it’s the time of me.

I celebrated my birthday a few days ago and as I usually do, I think back on my life and always come away feeling blessed. That loving family and a handful of good friends makes me a rich woman (no Powerball needed). Having my hand be filled with the hand of another person is a treasure.

A handful is enough.

As the number of dances that I have around the sun increases (okay, a poetic way of writing about getting older) I realize that I really don’t need or want a lot of things.

What about you? What could you hold in your hand that would be just enough for you? What are you holding onto that is stopping you from embracing what your really want? What are you willing to let go of, to put down, to release? What’s the price of having “too much?”

I’d love to hear from you. I know you are all out there and I’m so grateful that you share your life with me – but I’d love to hear your voices!

Wishing you peace and love and joy – and candles, and friends and family to light the dark as we move through winter.

Anne

P.S. Take some time to look at the night sky this week. A handful of planets, Mercury, Venus,  Saturn, Mars and Jupiter will be in a line.