Wednesday Wonders #12: Kelli Brew

Forgive my lapse, but I just don’t have it in me today to do a full-fledged Wednesday Wonders. If I had one, it would be Kelli Brew, a woman I went to high school with, who is living a life I very much admire: she is focusing on what matters to her most by living simply, consuming as few resources as possible, and enjoying the beauty of the people and places around her. She is also helping others learn to do the same, caring for those less fortunate for her, and being an artist (judging from her photographs, she is an artist!). She personifies “intention” in the best sense, and rather than preaching or hitting you over the head, she exemplifies her morals and spiritual beliefs by how she conducts her day-to-day life.

I knew Kelli as a sweet, nice and fun person in high school, but we were in different social circles, so I didn’t know her well. Now I wish I had known her better! I know her choices, living in the Gainesville, Florida Catholic Worker House in a downtown setting, with all kinds of people coming and going, can’t be easy all the time. Their car was recently stolen, for example. But, she has figured out what she wants to do with her life and (most important) she has found a way to make her dreams a reality.

One reason I can’t write up a full "tribute" today is that I am spending a lot of mental energy trying so hard to figure out a way to make my own life this meaningful. I want to do work I love, help others, and make the world a better place. But, I also want to make a reasonable living. I’m working on it, and realize that, like Kelli, I will have to make some sacrifices. But, I think it’s important at this point in our lives that we re-evaluate and figure out where we want to go. The economic downturn, along with the maturity that (I hope) being over 50 years old, combine to provide an unexpected opportunity to think about new possibilities. I know it’s important—I even dreamed about Kelli’s life last night—so it’s nagging at my subconscious! How can I take this inspiration and do something with it that’s right for me and my family? Probably just composting and recycling isn’t it!

Read some of Kelli’s beautiful blog entries, please, or visit the website about the work she and her colleagues are doing at the Catholic Worker House (a really amazing collection of doings and happenings there). There’s a lot to learn from their choices to live simply, locally and with care for the earth. You regular readers know I am not a Christian, but this is the kind of Christianity that I admire greatly and am proud to share the planet with.

So, I guess I did find inspiration enough to write a nice tribute to someone after all! Thanks to Kelli and her companions!

(The photo is one she took on a walk in the woods, shamelessly stolen from her Facebook pages--but she gave me permission!)