How Much is it Worth?

"They are very aware that you can make things yourself and that those things have value." Brook Williams said this about her children in this interview.

I've been thinking about how I treat things. With all the moving I've done since I left high school, there have been many things that have entered my life which have been left behind. There have been many things that have entered my life which were dragged from coast to coast and then across an ocean.

The quote from Brook Williams somehow connected with my thinking about whether or not I value the things that I've spent money on. Jason and I have been talking about what it is that we really value about being in England -- we value travel, both exploring new places & returning to family and friends. Family and adventure. Really, for me, that matters more than items that fill up space in my house.

But what about the things that get used in my life? Do I value those things enough to take care of them properly? When clothes get torn or stained or a piece of electronica short circuits, do I miss the item or do I miss the entertainment it provided or do I just regret the money spent that could have gone to purchase something else? Like plane tickets.

And what about the things that I've picked up, intending to do something with them? I'm great at seeing the potential in something & then not doing a thing about it. Why do I value the time on the computer, trolling for inspiration, rather than actually doing what it takes to try to create beauty? What do my actions teach Cami, Graham, and Rose?

We came to England in part to teach the kids that the world can be their home, not just North America. I hope we can also teach them to create something beautiful, not just consume beauty, in all parts of the world.

I'm not saying this well, because my thoughts aren't perfectly clear. But I hope that I can be a creator, not just a consumer -- even when consumption is needed to create a beautiful memory.