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JUST A SIMPLE GIRL

Friday, March 10, 2023

Looking back over my life, I realize how much has changed and yet how much has stayed the same.

It might surprise you that I went to boarding school in high school.

st marys raleigh north carolina
my school

My classmates were daughters of members of congress, a niece of Jimmy Carter, and girls whose fathers were CEOs of large corporations. 

I lived in a large home and hobnobbed with debutantes and other fairly snobbish young people. 

As a young woman, I owned a clothing boutique, ate at the governor's home, and traveled on helicopters with my husband to horse tracks to watch the races of horses he trained. 

horse racing

I was never wholly comfortable with this lifestyle and when it all came crashing down due to my husband's serious mental illness my life changed.

I was thrown into a life that I was not prepared for. I had two daughters to raise and one of them was diagnosed with a serious illness.

sunset

My life was not easy. 

I eventually returned to college to complete my degree and then went on to three years of graduate school. 

It was during this time that I realized that what I wanted was a simpler life.

I thought back to my childhood, growing up in a small Canadian town, and what I loved about that time.

I loved the simplicity of life in a small town.

simcoe ontario park
park in my town

It was a place where you seemed to know everyone, where how much money your family had didn't seem as important, and where you felt safe.

Maybe this was coming from the naive perspective of a child, but I know I was happy then.

Maybe the first years of my life and the last years have simplicity in common.

woman in field of flowers

 
I have found from talking to people recently that many people wish for a simpler life. 

I know that I want a simple and serene life because basically, I have realized that at the heart of it, I am a simple girl. 

Comments

  1. I like things very simple too. Even if I had a lot of money I do not think I would be comfortable in that lifestyle. Things mean more when you earn them yourself. Happy Weekend. Hugs. Kris

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  2. I'm all for simple and it makes me sort of an outcast where I live. Let's just say when we bought our first house the guys in my husband's office asked if he could afford it. When he said yes, their response was, "Then it's not big enough." Gotta love it.

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  3. I love, love, love my very simple life! I lived with so much stress for over 50 years. It aged me so much - always fearing judgement and seeking acceptance. Quite a bit has changed in the past 4+ years and I've discovered that I'm more content and at peace. I wish the same for you, Laura!

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  4. That's what I live too...the simpler and more peaceful the better. I grew up fairly poor, but in my eyes as a child, I felt there was plenty! We received food from the gov't food surplus, hand me down clothes, no TV and no car until I was 8 or so....but I felt like I had a rich childhood. I've always shied away from big cities and wanted to live in the small towns. I still do that and like it this way! I'm just a simple "country" girl, although I grew up in Portland, OR the first 22 years of my life.

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