Less is more. by Rekha Jad

In these days of corona pandemic, everyone is experiencing enforced solitude, looking for ways to do away with idleness and impatiently waiting to resume their routine activities, which we all have been deprived of.

One of the activities  I scrupulously follow these days is parenting my plants, and today as a weekly Sunday ritual, I was changing the water of my devil's ivy or the money plant, I was awestruck by the beauty and minimalist trait of this fuss-free, maintainable, nondemanding plant. Almost thriving on neglect, it is happy with just a streak of splendid sun rays seeking entry through the window. It keeps on adding glossy leaves non chalantly, growing relentlessly outwards as well deep inside with its glistening entwined roots. I wish we humans too possessed this trait of growth in all dimensions with equally captivating beauty hidden deep as shining outwards with minimal needs and desires.

This observation was an instant inspiration for believing " Less is More". I am swarmed by words of wisdom by Budha, "Anything in excess is poison" and Einstein s golden words"More possession you keep, unhappier you are." and Lo! I am on a decluttering spree. The tyrannical surveillance I impose on my household suddenly changes to a darting gaze to declutter it. My spirits soaring high, with boundless zeal, I approach my closet, which is crammed and stuffed with clothes, many of which awaiting darnering and alterations and some waiting for an appropriate occasion to wear.certain dresses are kept just because of an emotional attachment putting me on a voyage of memories. My overloaded and mobbed cupboards are lighter now, after taking out all unnecessary ones, it looks tidier and I am little guilt tipped on the money I have squandered on the things, I wished for but never needed.

Though not a hotshot in fashion still hoarded a lot of cosmetics, so without a second thought, get rid of all the unused nail paints, lipsticks. Again few things have stories attached to them, some of these items of maquillage gifted from foreign returned relations (.cosmetics and chocolates being the commonest gifts we get). But determined as I am, all these things which have never been put to use are chucked out. Now the shoe rack, awaits the same fate, with plantar fascitis, unable to carry the heels, I have hoarded them in a Phantom hope to wear them, to bring the fancy shoes to use someday which never dawns, good riddance to them.

By genetic programming, we are hoarders, but as I clean my physical space and bidding a farewell to all redundant stuff, the odyssey seems unending, the tea set in the kitchen which is for some special guests, the linen, quilts, bedspreads still in their packages awaiting a special occasion which I am not sure of. The books which I have discarded after reading the first fifty pages pile in the bookshelf. My hoardings seemed unending.

This over-indulgence extends it's ambit to many things other than material goods. Be it words, friends, or relations. More frugal and tight-fisted Scrooge you are with words, the better. Fewer true friends are better than a vast world of friends which boils down to few in times of crisis.Similarly, if there is no warmth and intimacy in a relation, better let it go.It is pointless to harbor a stream of unworthy people in your life just because of genetic allegiance.

Never imagined a trivial thing as a money plant could impart such a thoughtful and insightful lesson of designing a simple life, focussing on essentials and living with only the things we need not desire.

With this decluttering of my mind and physical space, I feel lighter and peaceful.