By Danielle Bianchi ’05, ’07 MA

When the school year came to a close this past June, my husband and I began to make plans for how we would spend the summer with our three young kids. Wanting to partake in all the traditional aspects of summer, we discussed how to fit swim lessons, museum trips, zoo visits, and a family vacation into the calendar. However, our plans were put on hold when a nagging injury of mine unexpectedly required surgery with a lengthy recovery time. As we all adjusted to my restrictions, I struggled to accept that our summer would look a lot different than I had envisioned.

During that time, I agreed to adopt one of the ecological virtues of Laudato Si for a week. The mantra of “simplicity” spoke to me as significant to embrace in our circumstances. Over the course of that week, I watched as my children kicked the soccer ball in the backyard, chased each other with bubble wands, and squealed with delight over water toys. I accepted their invitations to read their favorite books over and over, build superhero puzzles, and toss a balloon around the living room. We admired the works of art they created and laughed as they sang and danced to their favorite songs.

I admit that I still wished my kids had not missed out on play dates at the pool and the science exhibit. Yet I could not deny the value in what occurred in the absence of those activities. We appreciated the freedom in not having to rush to scheduled events. We enjoyed visits from family and friends who generously stopped by to lend a hand. And we all relished the extra time that my husband spent at home while I recovered.

While Laudato Si challenges us to simplify our material consumption, Pope Francis also points out the need to simplify how we spend our time. He notes how “many people today sense a profound imbalance which drives them to frenetic activity and makes them feel busy” (#225). At the heart of both the desire to acquire more possessions and the compulsion to plan more activities is a false expectation of what we need to be happy. Pope Francis suggests that “Happiness means knowing how to limit some needs which only diminish us, and being open to the many different possibilities which life can offer” (#223). Slowing down the pace of our lives presented other opportunities to spend time together. Though I feared disappointing my children by not being able to go and do more, I realized that they already possessed a “familiarity with the simplest things and how to enjoy them” (#223).

As I eagerly await the end of my recovery time, I notice that the fall calendar is quickly filling up with soccer games, school functions, and church events. In the midst of all the going and doing, I am committed to remember the importance of being—being present to my family, being detached from the need to be busy, being content with simplicity.