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By Betsy Ore Glass

Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. – Ecclesiastes 4:6

There is nothing like it! I remember years ago when we had an oceanfront cottage the days of a summer breeze coming through were the best! It cleansed the cottage while washing it in the fragrance of salt air. The little cottage didn’t have air conditioning, so we relied on those days to throw open the windows in the summer. The homemade curtains would stand straight out, giving us the full advantage of the breeze. Simple pleasures.

I tend to favor the days of simplicity, particularly those days of yesteryear of backyard clothes lines, open windows, lingering family suppers. And picking tomatoes from the little garden. I could go on and on and I bet you could, too. The simple recipes our mothers made that would fill up the kitchen with the smell of freshness. And hot dogs on the beach and ice cream cones on Sunday for a treat. Happiness was the breeze that came through then.

Today why is it so important to be stimulated? Kids show up and say “I’m bored.” Our days have packed agendas now and schedules so as not to miss anything. We are on a treadmill trying to keep up with a pace that we ourselves set. We have so much, yet we want so much more. Our society thrives on stress and not on simplicity. We may have fallen prey to that thinking along the way. For me I am a work in progress! We have downsized, simplified and decluttered, but sometimes I think we have only gotten started! I am trying to be intentional with my time. Instead of a TV show at night, I check in with a friend or listen to some music. It is so pleasant. So many ways to slow the pace if we are willing. Today I made a cake. I haven’t done that in a while. No TV, no phone, just me and my thoughts. It was a very peaceful afternoon. Along with simplicity, we must have an equal dose of peace too. Lord please send us a breeze full of contentment and peace! But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. – 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Betsy Ore Glass has long-standing ties to the Outer Banks. From Virginia Beach, her family bought a vacation cottage in the 60s and her love of the area began. Later in the 90s, Betsy and her husband bought a weekend cottage and introduced the area to their children. Then Betsy’s parents retired to KDH where the family gathered often. Reach her at betsyglass1@gmail.com. To learn more about her new book, Reflections by the Sea, visit betsyoreglass.com.

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