I owe my mom an apology. For years (the teenage ones, surprise!) I was inexcusably rude and critical of her frugality and environmental concern. I remember one year at camp she turned an envelope inside out and used it to mail me a letter. I called her tacky.
Years later, I found out how hurtful that was. Now that I'm older and wiser, I know why she turned the envelope inside out. Was it that she couldn't afford a new one? No, it was because she decided early on to minimize her effect on the planet. She was "carbon footprint" conscious before it was the in thing.
My mom and dad choose to live with very few possessions so that they actually use what they own. They can quickly find what they need because it's not buried under a bunch of useless junk. They also don't throw out a lot of trash because they aren't making any. But their simple lifestyle doesn't make them cheap or miserly; in fact they are the most generous people I know and I hope to reach at least half the level of their hospitality and kindness.
Whenever I do something seemingly insignificant that I hope makes a difference anyway, I think of my mom and how she led the way. I hope my daughters don't grow up and call me tacky but if they do, I'll take a lesson from my parents and be true to myself anyway. They'll understand soon enough.
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