Have you read the "Little House on the Prairie" series?
On a Sunday morning, my sister and I used to love watching little Laura Ingalls run all over the South Dakota prairie with her pig tail braids flying behind her. We used to love despising the snotty behavior of Nellie Oleson and we used to wish we could carry lit candles all over our house in the evenings.
Was that you too? Well, 'Hi', Kindred Spirit!
Though I loved "Little House" episodes on television, I never read the series until this last year. And reading them was like opening up the figurative windows of our home and letting all that clean, fresh prairie air invigorate my sense of what is important in life. These were real people doing amazing things and living simple, beautiful lives.
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| A deep breath of "old fashioned" freshness! |
My husband and I made the decision a few years ago that we wanted to have depth and meaning in every aspect of our lives. I grew up watching every kids movie and romantic comedy ever released up to about the year 2000, he grew up spending hours on end playing with Legos. He built (no pun intended!) on his Lego skills to become an engineer. I....well, the hours I spent watching TV hasn't really served a useful purpose yet-- except, perhaps, to teach me that I don't want my kids to waste their time in the ways I did. There's just so much more to life than tv, video games, and smart phones, and there always has been!
A common maxim in parenting is "learn from my experience," and that's just what I plan to do myself.
I have often thought about the pioneers and pilgrims of our past and been impressed by their moral strength, physical stamina, bravery, and home-based values. Then, on top of all of that, when I think of the vast and detailed repertoire of skills that they had to master in order to survive each day, I am left with a profound feeling of respect and admiration.
"I want to be more like they were," I say to myself. I want to know how to be more self-sufficient, like they were. I want to make the time for the important things, like they did. I want to spend my time interacting with my kids and teaching them and laughing with them. I want my kids to explore their surroundings and be fascinated by bugs and know how to be respectful.
There's just so much to learn! And how do you keep the beauties of the past alive in the world today?
That's my challenge and my goal. My family and I are going on a journey and taking however long it takes us. We're reading and re-reading the amazing classics of the past (primarily the "Little House on the Prairie" series, but other great books as well) and finding principles and practices to try out for ourselves in our modern family living in this Big World.
We're creating our own "Little House" (with indoor plumbing, gas, and electric!). I hope you'll enjoy the journey with us and try some "old" things yourselves!!What was your favorite story from "The Little House on the Prairie" books?? Comment below!
© Allison T. and "Little House Lifestyle", 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Allison T. and "Little House Lifestyle" with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
