Illustration by Allyson Volmer

“Feelings first” is really the essence of simplified living – a focus on what matters most. ~ Danielle Laporte

There was much buzz upon Danelle Laporte’s book launch earlier in the year. I was super excited to get my paws on this book because I have actually purchased her Fire Starter Sessions a couple of years ago and gleaned a lot from her perfectly potent priestess pennings (going for a super alliteration cuz I know you dig those).

This is one of those rare books that is so worth to own both a hard copy version as well as the audio version. I must have listened to the whole book itself about three times now and then when a truth ringing nugget jumps out at me I pick up the substantially weighted tome (like a chubby puppy a love a weighty feel to my cherished belongings) to fish out the quote and allow the visual to proceed straight into its permanent position in my psyche.

And that’s just what happened last night as I was making my grandma’s arroz con pollo.

I heard those words from chapter five and immediately put down my wooden spoon and beer (you need to drink that while you make this Peruvian dish ~ grandma told me so), strolled right into the library section of the bathroom (we have a massive bathroom) and re-read that section that perked up my simplicity feeling loving ears.

My Simplicity Parenting workshops all open up with this question;

What are the values we wish to pass on to our children?

As Ms Laporte suggests another way to move ourselves toward the direction of the authentic answer to that question is to ask the question;

How do  we want our day to day lives as a family to feel?

Remembering a golden moment from our own childhood; we are given a taste sampler of how we want our children to feel for the most part of this brief, often rushed, part of our lives. Doing this in the peak of the summer heat does help. Much of these tend to happen when relief is just a pool dip away and daily rhythms and schedules are, hopefully, looser.

What I love about the above illustration from a most talented reader, Allyson,  is that it captures a feeling within me when I felt really connected with my little girl.

I just finished making ourselves some matching aprons. Something she was wishing out loud for forever. I remember the excitement in her face as we put them on at the same time together and pointed at each other yelling “I know you!”.

I remember wearing these on a practical level for the first time as we collected elderberries from our property together to make tincture we take everyday to support our health in the winter as well as support our toast tastiness as jelly. It felt at that moment like we were Team Cool. I bet you can tell.

 I remember as we came careening toward Craig in full force skipping speed how I wanted our homelife to feel like – joyful, self-sufficient, creative and playful.

Feelings. It’s a brilliant starting off point.  Try picking out one of your favorite pictures of yourself or you with the kids, partner optional,  and try to pinpoint the feelings you were experiencing in the moment. What is the value, or values, revealed at the core of that expression?

All I know is I value your comments Leave your gem of a value that is written all over your face in the comments below!