This weekend my youngest daughter and I took a road trip ... my first in three years due to surgeries and Covid ... to see her older sister who lives in Narvon, a town in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The weather was warm but breezy, and the scenery was just beautiful. I had not had the opportunity to see my daughter's new home since she moved there and I was totally enchanted with being back out in the Pennsylvania countryside and, in particular, in Lancaster County. Lancaster, in case you didn't know, is home to a large Amish and Mennonite community. It was not only a family road trip, it was also a trip back in time.
I lived in Pennsylvania for 21 years before moving to upstate New York. Although we didn't live in Lancaster County, we did see our fair share of how the Amish people lived. Visiting this weekend I was reminded of the commitment to tradition and to a simpler, kinder way of life, a life that so many of us have all but forgotten. I got to see the traditional horse and buggies on the road, the simple, prim attire of the women and children, the hard work and dedication to their farms, their stores, and all of their hand work that set them apart from the how most of society lives. The fields were high with corn waiting to be harvested, the farm stands were filled with ripe, luscious produce, and everyone from the oldest to the youngest were lending a hand, working side-by-side to do what needed to be done. Down to the smallest among those that we came in contact with, everyone was pleasant, polite, and ready to help or serve. It got me to thinking about almost every kid I know these days who think even an hour away from their video games is some kind of punishment.
Watching the Amish people this weekend and seeing their simple, but functional, homes and farms, made me step back and think about how much simplification and downsizing I've already done, and what more I could do to live a more authentic, sustainable, and satisfying life. If these hard-working, God-fearing, dedicated people can live that way, and still be quite obviously happy, it's certainly something to think about.
And so it is.
