After reading Lloyd Lee Wilson's pamphlet, "Holy Surrender", and attending the Convergent Quakers workshop last weekend, I resolved to relieve myself of some possessions especially clothes and books. I have been carrying around boxes of books from home to home for years. Why? As a child who loved to read, I lived in a home where there were few books (although both parents encouraged me to use the library). I resolved that my own family would not experience that. Well now that my son is grown up and independent, I no longer have that excuse! Yesterday, I went through about fifteen boxes of books (we recently moved) and selected half of them to give away. I also reduced my clothing by half and donated two pairs of shoes. It was easy and I ask myself why it had always been so difficult in the past to move books along. I'm still puzzling over that one. Besides the fact that we live in a small house, I feel good about this subtraction process. I resolve to continue the process until hopefully all that is left is what we truly need and what any guests to our home would need to feel comfortable.