Why We’re Here: A’s Story
Where is
No-Ear Fox?
ISO: Our son’s favorite snuggle buddy …
My toddler’s favorite lovey is a small plush fox blanket. He snuggles with fox every night, brings fox on every car ride, and even shares his snacks with fox. He loves fox so much that he gnawed its ears clean off before his first birthday. (To be fair to the kid, nothing soothed his aching gums when those first teeth cut through quite like fox’s ears.)
Being devoted parents, we quickly realized one fox would not be enough. We needed a backup. We secretly swapped loveys overnight, and hid the mutilated, earless fox in a drawer.
Little guy was onto the ruse immediately. He cautiously rubbed his fingers over soft ears that weren’t there the day before and stared up at us with accusing eyes. Where is No-Ear Fox?
From that moment on, we’ve had two loveys — Ear Fox and No-Ear Fox. We stocked up for the inevitable moment when the others get lost or become too damaged to carry on. (The brand no longer manufactures this specific blanket, so it’s difficult to find.) Super Secret Backup Agent Fox is hiding in an undisclosed location, plotting his moment to shine. Which might be sooner than later.
No-Ear Fox has been missing for two months.
We know he made it home from grandma's house, but he hasn't been seen since. We've looked in toy bins, drawers and under beds. We've checked most nooks, but there are still crannies. And compartments, and pockets, and piles of this and piles of that to peer under. Every time we clear one area, two more messes appear - a hydra made of chaos and clutter. And we know somewhere under all of this lies No-Ear Fox.
Our house is so full of stuff, I can’t take more than two steps without stepping on a Lego, tripping over a cord or falling into the dirty laundry black hole next to the bed. It takes acrobatic maneuvering to wind my way around the obstacles on the path to my morning coffee. And with every step, I realize how far we've fallen into the consumer trap.
Not only did we lose our toddler's favorite lovey in the stuff abyss, we are actively adding more to it. Did we really need two backup foxes!? Did we really need to buy 20 more gazingus pins, just because they were on sale? Do we really need to hold on to boxes of electronics, finger paintings, outgrown clothes, rusty tools or tchotchkes from other people's downsizing?
The little guy has slowly adjusted to life with one fox. But when he's sad or when he's sleepy, he'll clutch Ear Fox in one hand, hold out his other empty hand and ask "Where is No-Ear Fox?"
Sorry, kid. No-Ear Fox got lost in the clutter, a casualty to our over-consumption.
Which brings us to this blog, and our minimalist journey. Item by item, we will be removing the clutter and taking daily actions to build the life we want. One that’s focused less on things and more on our values. I am excited to share this experience with you all. We’ll learn, grow and explore new ways to be just a little bit better everyday.
And, as God as our witness, we will find No-Ear Fox.
