A love letter to my modest life.

When did it become the norm to live to excess? When did living comfortably and modest become a thing of the past? I do not aspire to have great amounts of money in the bank, rental houses, expensive cars, designer clothes or even overseas holidays. When did it become the norm to spend more time at work than with your family? When did houses become a trophy where the bigger, the better? Somewhere along the line, I must have missed that memo.

Those are not my dreams. That is not what my heart desires. My heart desires a modest, comfortable life. A life where family comes first and and you are thankful for what you have. A modest family home where there is space to all come together in a cosy setting. A yard where there is grass, trees, flowers & room for the family pets. Where a bedroom fits your bed, clothes and just a few simple pieces of furniture. Where you wardrobe is not full of designer clothes that are only worn for special occasions but where you wardrobe is full of loved clothes that make you smile fondly when you reach for them. Your favourite shoes remember the shape of your feet because you where them so often. Your handbag is worn & familiar just like your favourite slippers. 

As I sit outside of my tiny home, I am thankful for what I have and I could not wish for more. This home that has seen my babies grow into teenagers. The home that we have lovingly renovated, slowly. The house that people walk into & they immediately feel relaxed. The littlest home on the street that has 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 toilet, 1 kitchen, 1 living room, 1 laundry, a back patio & a whole lot of love. The house where the kids friends feel like they are at their second home. The home where there is always music coming from somewhere. I could not wish for more.

Right now I can hear kookaburras in the trees talking to the neighbourhood. I can hear our budgies singing their afternoon song. I can hear a dog up the road barking to let the world know that this is his street. I can hear music coming from the teenagers rooms. I can hear a car leaving for a night out. I can hear a car coming home at the end of the week. I can hear kids playing football. I can hear the little girl next door telling her Mummy about the flower she just picked. These are the sounds that are all so familiar to me and become the song of my neighbourhood. These sounds ease my soul.

This is our family home and I spend my days filling it with love. From the biscuit jar that sits in the kitchen bench with cookies that I have baked to the lounge covers tha I have sewn myself. From the artwork that hangs proudly in the walls that I created to the furniture that I have restored. This is my job. The job that I wake up everyday to do & go to sleep every night to do it all again the next day. This is what I want to do. I want to spend my days making the people I love happy. I do it for my husband, my teenagers & eventually one day it will be for my grandchildren. 

As long as the bills are paid, we have a small family home & we are all healthy, that is worth more to me than anything else. 

From Jos with love. xx