how much?

Leo Tolstoy told a story about a man’s needs.

In his story a very wealthy landowner offered two trusted men all the land they could walk around in a day. The first one found a wonderful little cottage with some fine shade trees, he walked around it and then sat in the shade of that wonderful spot.

The 2nd man ran all day, coveting and then running around this piece and that piece until by evening he dropped dead of exhaustion.

How much land does a man need, Tolstoy asked?

As I contemplate life on the simple side, I wonder about posessions. How much?

It is not all that easy.

There are thousands of items in this house that remind me of great times with Miriam, our daughters, and grandkids. There is a picture here of 2 year old Alan, a picture there of 5 year old Emily. Miriam’s handiwork abounds.

How much of that does an old man need? I fear there are no answers, but I am searching. And unless this sound more maudlin than I mean it to, there is also a great degree of adventure in all of this.

Those memories are so good. Maybe I just need enough of the memories to trigger the emotion.

I’ll have to think about that one.