I wish that I could capture what night-rain breathes like in this cathedral of old trees and save it for you, dear friend. I've cracked open the window in this tree-top room of my log home. Three walls are all windows. The heat of Summer is washed away by the coolness and comfort of Fall rain. So much of life is like that, the heat and pressure of the moment seems suffocating and then suddenly rain comes. One small raindrop and then another and another. 

As I've journeyed through these years of giving almost everything away, I believe that the choices I made are like raindrops. Small choices. One by one. Over time. Then suddenly, the cumulative effort of all those small "raindrop" choices created a flood of relief, like Fall rain after a hot Summer. At least, that's how this minimalist journey grew for me. 

And still, even as a dedicated minimalist, hard days do exist when every last item I own is strewn up on the floor by a ornery toddler, like today. Today was a huge mess, including my art supplies, which produced a hot, angry mom.

Yet, I realized again, the overwhelm is gone. The anger is gone in one deep breath. I get down on my knees and work with my little one, instead of working angrily against my beloved child. There is less to clean up and so the effort and strain is gone for both of us. 

As I clean up the whirlwind of toddler-hood, I again realize how easy it is every single time. I find my emotions don't need to be angry anymore. 

Rain.

Relief.

Redemption. 

Perhaps, it's because that was not my childhood. Maybe it wasn't yours either. For those of us who had less than ideal childhoods, we need this kind of redemption. The kind that changes the script of the past, rewrites the story of "home," and out of blessed strength lives a completely new and better life.

Living well is often the best healing.

Instead of anger and rage, patience and grace grow. Instead of overwhelm and chaos, peace and simplicity build.  Sure there's frustration at times, but not the soul-cutting comments or accusations of laziness. No more the trying to escape a messy, chaotic, overwhelming shell of a house. The darkness of depression is lifted. 

With minimalism, my home now serves me, not the other way around.  

And even on my hardest days, I am still a better mother for giving everything away, instead of sacrificing my family on the alter of materialism and cultural expectations.

The change has been dramatic and life-saving for me. The healing is not just internal, but as the anti-thesis of pain, the healing actually spreads in every direction. The healing is for me and, dear friend, it's for you as well. 

It's because of that complete transformation in my life that I do what I can today to help others. As a professional financial + minimalist coach, I provide simple, gentle steps to create a haven in the home and stability in the finances. I worked for years in the realm of insurance, having trained in property and casualty insurance plus tax-prep and business start-up, yet I found my career empty without peace in the home.

Fast forward several hard years and giving almost everything away, and I now help that redemption happen in not just my home, but so many other precious families. And I am passionate about integrating minimalist principles into my professional financial coaching. In order to solve financial problems, the root issues must be addressed, and the transformation my clients experience is simply amazing. It is an incredible privilege, one that I take seriously because my heart was seared by the same struggle so many are facing.

The changes started slowly at first for me and quickly gained intensity when I finally had the help I needed. Small changes brought a freedom I never expected but I desperately needed, relief just like this evening of rain tonight.

Above all, dear friend, know that you don't need to walk this journey alone. There is relief for you and your beloved family. The answers do exist. Healing is possible. The rain is coming. 

Always believing for you,

Elizabeth

PS Part of what I love is hearing others' minimalist pathways and stories. Feel free to email me at elizabeth@createminimalism.com or  with me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/createminimalism/