It’s a Gift to be Simple

He shattered the normalcy of my life with a jarring abruptness. A silent observer, he meticulously pilfered pieces of my world. I never glimpsed him, never knew the face behind the shadow, yet he was a big part of my life - a creepy presence that I knew nothing about but called Klept.

The subtle disappearance of objects around the house became the only evidence of his intrusion. Initially, I dismissed each missing item as a mere oversight.

We all misplace things. Things go missing and usually resurface.

But over time, more and more items disappeared. There was a photo taken from the shelf, a missing coffee mug. I noticed a box of old letters was no longer where I put it. The slow burning candle on the counter was also gone. Other small objects started to go missing, and the shelves, drawers, and cabinets of my house grew gradually empty.

At first I was upset. Losing these object hurt my heart, and I mourned especially the missing letters.

Over time Klept became more aggressive with the objects he took. I woke up and there was an empty space where I kept a large stack of books. The microwave was missing. I noticed one morning the TV was gone. The papers on my desk were also swept clear.

With each missing item, I wanted to anxiously hold tight to everything that remained.

Until, one day, I came home from work and saw the kitchen table was gone. Klept had never taken such a large object.

Why does he do these things?

That night I ate my dinner on the floor. And in that moment, I realized that I felt more grounded and at peace than ever before. It was good to see the clutter of my life missing. The objects I lost and desperately wanted back just a few days ago suddenly didn’t seem important. And the things that were important, the people that make life truly special, were still with me. They were always there. Klept couldn’t take that away.

I actually felt relief and acceptance that the clutter of my life was gone and I was simply able to “be” without the pull of material objects and the worry that seems to come from our western life. I was free.

Eventually the thefts started to slow down. There wasn’t much to take anymore, and Klept seemed to lose interest.

Living simply, unencumbered by material things, was the one gift Klept gave me. I never understood his motivations. I doubt it was to help me - perhaps he wanted to punish me or it was some sort of physiological experiment - but in the end I was more resilient and free.