"Wish it was larger?" That was the subject line of an email in my junk mail box. Hmmmm…not exactly sure what direction the email was going to go with that query, but it caused me to reflect on the question.

Do I wish it was larger? If you are asking if I wish my bank account, closet, capacity for patience, calorie allowance, time available in each day, capacity for knowledge, back yard, or paycheck was larger – well, then the response is a resounding “heck yeah!”

There are some things that others may wish were larger that I would not want to be larger. I would not want my fanny (and add on to that my hips and thighs as well), my responsibilities, my car, my ego, my purse or my personality to be larger.

The old saying is “size matters”. Indeed, we have been quite happy as a society embracing the notion that bigger is better. We are a super-sized society and we tend to measure ourselves based on what we have relative to others. More cars, a bigger house, better vacations, a larger bank account…but as I noted above sizing up is not always sought after.

I saw today in The Forum that the much beloved Carlsen family is moving to Bismarck to allow the father, Jesse, to work a more regular schedule so that he will have more time with his family. He understands what needs to be larger in the big scheme of things.

A couple of months ago I read an article about a family who lived in a small two bedroom home their whole lives. They thought about buying a bigger home when their two boys got old enough to want their own rooms, but then thought better of it. It wasn’t that they could not afford it; they just thought it wasn’t the most prudent way to spend their money. Instead these parents were able to work less, spend more time with their sons, save more and pay their sons’ college tuition. The bottom line – they super-sized the value of family over stuff.

It is not easy to move away from the super-sized world and into a world where decisions are based not on quantity in life but instead on quality of life. And the truth be told, what is it that we really need to survive in this world?  I might suggest that what matters most are the people and creatures we love and share our life with. Having double the square-footage in your home, a Jacuzzi tub or a Cadillac Escalade is great, but not if the cost is more time away from folks you love.

Being the perfectly imperfect person I am I must constantly remind myself that life is not about having stuff, but about enjoying the relationships you have with others. I lose my way some days (indeed some months).  I sometimes forget the simplicity of it all. I am grateful for the subtle reminders that cause me to reflect upon what really matters.

Work less, accumulate less…give more, love more…that is the message I take away today from my “Wish it was larger?” email. That wasn’t exactly what they were selling in the email, but that is what I was willing to buy.

Day seventy-one of the new forty – obla di obla da

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