A recent trip to an Amish community has me thinking there’s more to life than just..Go-Go-Go all the time. Do you find yourself wanting to slow down and take away any distractions that are interfering in your life? Do you dream of Living Simply, Like the Amish?
As my friends and I drove the Amish Country, I studied each house that we came to. They each had a little something different to offer but the one thing that was consistent was they were all kind, hard-working, and loved their community.
Live Simply, Like the Amish
Back in 2014 when I first started my blog, I was yearning for simplicity. I was a homeschool mom, worked outside the home, and ran a mile a minute. Yes, I was the YES mom. I said yes to everything at church, yes to 4-H, and yes to volunteering in the community. My home suffered. The laundry was backed up and I had dust everywhere. Boy was I tired. Can you relate?
I’ve always been drawn to living simply. Although I do love the Amish lifestyle, it would be hard to give up a few things. If I became Amish, I wouldn’t be able to travel as I do, and then I couldn’t visit cute little towns with nice people and horse & buggies. I love our modern technologies such as using the internet to connect with you; however, I could definitely do without tv and a cell phone, sometimes haha.
*This post is sponsored by Lehman’s. Your complete source for handmade by the AMISH items as well as made in the USA products. Lehman’s is all about living a simpler life. I personally buy a lot of my items for my home here. My Amish made clothesline should be arriving any day and I can’t wait to share it with you!
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Learn to Slow Down
I love how the Amish live so peacefully on their little homesteads. While traveling the Amish backroads, it was so nice seeing everyone in the family working, including the little itty bitty ones. The father and older sons were plowing the fields or making furniture in their barn. The mom was painting windows, and hanging clothes on the line and the older girls were selling all their homemade goodies.
There is something about the slow living that I’m drawn to. The Amish lifestyle is really what drew me to create my blog. That and Little House on the Prarie. That’s where I came up with “Little House” in my blog name. The Amish do not run around rushing to get to work or to take their kids all over town to school activities. There’s nothing wrong with these things, it’s just I’m tired of the rat race. The older I get, the more I long to be home, unless, I want to go on a road trip haha.
Here’s a look into our Simple Life that started six years ago.
Opt-Out of the System
The Amish do not pay into Social Security. They don’t want to feel controlled by the government. This is one part I really wish I could opt-out of. I also feel people should be in charge of their health, not the government telling us what to do.
The Amish do not want to be controlled. Therefore, they don’t partake in worldly ways. Everyone we came in contact with was so nice and friendly. They really want to live a simple life, minding their own business. They are self-sufficient, taking care of their own.
Build a Community
One of the most important things I noticed about the Amish is they love their community. They all take care of one another. Everyone has their strengths and they barter amongst them. When someone needs help on their homestead, the Amish men are known to hold a Barn Raising. This is where they all pitch in to build the barn.
Could you imagine what it would be like if we had communities like the Amish? The women take care of the home, the children, and their neighbors. They all show each other how to do things, such as quilting or canning. They believe that community is everything. This is where I wish us “English” (that’s what they call us) would be more kind to one another and make time for our neighbors. I think if we slowed down and spent more time in our community, we’d live a simpler life.
Work Hard
One thing the Amish are good at is hard work. They are usually up at sunrise, eat their breakfast and then go non-stop until sunset. The men are the main providers. We saw many of the young men working a hand plow with a team of horses. They don’t believe in using tractors. There were several wood working shops and furniture makers that we came to. It seems like they all have their own niche. The women made beautiful baskets, homemade butter, jams/jellies, soaps, candles and other crafts. The children are even involved in the family business.
They have signs by the their road that says what they sell. If there is no sign, then they don’t have anything to sell. They don’t take anything for granted and literally work all day long. They don’t have tv’s so their entertainment in the evenings is music or games.
I wish I could’ve taken more photos but out of respect, I grabbed what I could. My friends and I bought something from every house we went to. My baskets I purchased are probably my most favorite treasure. We bought soap, maple syrup, fudge, more baskets (haha), canned goods and apothecary items. It truly was an amazing time. I encourage you to get off the interstate when you are traveling and seek out the back roads. I meet the nicest people and you never know what you’ll find. So, do you think you could Live Simply, Like the Amish?
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