I often think about when I lived in Cambodia, how life was simpler. I think back so fondly of my time there, for a lot of reasons, but I think one of the factors that made it so enjoyable was largely due to the pace and simplicity of life. Though not always easy, I love the life I got to create there. I love the slowness amidst the chaos. I love the way having to do things differently and resourcefully made you stop and really think about what you were doing. I love the way people greeted you with a smile. I love the sense of community and the way you could walk into an establishment and greet the owner by name, and they'd know yours, too.
It also makes me think about my grandmothers and my mother. The time they poured into simple tasks. Cooking, baking, jarring and canning. Gardening, sewing and mending clothes. Knitting blankets and crocheting doilies. I find it fascinating how there is a new wave of people (mostly women I think ;)) gaining interest in all of these activities. Perhaps people have begun to realize the importance, the beauty and the deep meaning that lie in them.
