I have asked myself that question many times. We live in a society that constantly consists of excitement, expectations and high demands. Social media tells us how perfect life must be and everywhere we see advertisements for perfect bodies, home decor that you just have to have to live a good life.
Not only that. In Sweden, where I live, there are also so-called rules for what should be included in an accommodation and it is not considered accepted not to have what the country's regulations say you should have. For example, it is considered a must in Sweden to have a dining table, carpet, beds and TV and more. But what if I don't want a TV in my home. What if I don't want my home to be filled with toys. What if I want to live small because it is cozier and fits our lifestyle better, but that is not accepted in Sweden.
I heard of a father who lost his children because the family lived small. I myself, when I took my husband to Sweden, had to announce how many rooms I had in the appartment because it was not accepted for him to come and live with me if I did not have a certain number of rooms in my home. People who give love but not things are not accepted here. Who are they to decide how big a home you should have. Who are they to decide whether the children get hurt or not from living cramped but showered with love? But it didn't matter because in Sweden you don't get to keep your children because of love, you get to keep them because you live big, give the children everything they point to, keep quiet when the schools don't give what the children are entitled to according to law. Simply when you just fit in and are like everyone else.
I'm not like everyone else. My dream is to live in a small cozy house with a plot where my children and dogs can run freely. I am not a mother who has to buy all the latest for my children because it is expected of me. I am not a mother who has a wardrobe full of clothes to choose from. I'm a minimalist who constantly declutters everything we don't use or need. I am a mother who stands up for me and my children's rights. I'm not quiet. But for that I get a lot of crap from society. I'm not like everyone else, I don't run in the squirrel wheel, I can't be silenced when something is wrong. But I have to take shit for it.
When will society change from being a consuming society to being an "I only buy what I need and use society", when will society tolerate that people with opinions may sometimes be right, when will society tolerate that I must be allowed to live my life the way I want, when will society tolerate that I will always fight for my children's rights to an education despite their diagnoses.
When society realizes that then I can be free. Then I can feel that the slow living lifestyle I want to live by is accepted by society. Right now I'm fighting against the wind for my right to live as best suits me and my family.
How is it in the country you come from? Are you allowed to live the lifestyle you want without being considered too different for the rest of society or do you feel that you have to fit in with the prevailing norms? Let me know your thoughts on this in the comments.
Wish you a nice day.
Best regards