Sandy Supposes....

Doin' Without

PROMPT: It is said that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Do you believe this to be true? Other than people, what is something you have done without for an extended period of time... for so long that it felt like it was beginning to hurt?

         Well, for a period of several months, I was homeless. I had moved from a house, and could not find somewhere to set up shop. Most of my belongings; furniture, clothing, dishes and cookware, books, and personal paraphanelia were inaccessible in boxes piled in a rented storage unit. I camped in a borrowed trailer in a relative ' s backyard.

          I must admit, I was a wee bit upset. I'd always lived in my own house with lots of space and privacy. It was difficult not to feel like a failure. I really missed my home. I learned to survive without Internet access and a television . I'd even had to relinquish most of my house plants. I could not keep a great deal of food in the trailer. Baking was more problematic with the tiny kitchen. There wasn't much of a bathroom either.

          The one saving grace was that it was summer time. I was not forced to winter in a small, uninsulated trailer. In time, I realized that I'd been given a gift. I had less distractions and expensive living costs. I had more time to just sit; to read, to write, to breathe.

         In the autumn, I finally found an apartment to rent. I was more than happy to set up my own living space again, with an increased awareness of gratitude.