My wife, Linda, is my heroine. She is literally the most awesome person I have ever known. I have been married to her for the better part of thirty years and have known her for even longer than that. And I am continually amazed by her sweetness, diligence, and inclination to do the right thing. She proves on a daily basis that she loves God and she loves me through her actions.

You see, Linda specializes in doing the small things that no one but me and God will ever notice. And she may not even realize that I am paying attention, but I am. The multitude of seemingly insignificant tasks all add up to make a huge difference in our lives and I love her for it. So, indulge me this shout-out to my beloved this Valentine’s Day.

Melanie Shankle writes in Church of the Small Things: The Million Little Pieces That Make Up a Life, “The true joy of life is found in the everyday. It’s the moments that don’t necessarily take our breath away at the time that often become the ones that matter most. When we look back on our days, we realize such moments are the very threads that make up the tapestry of a life.”

As Mother Teresa is quoted as saying, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” And as the title of the bestselling book by Bob Goff suggests, “Love does.” Talk is cheap and empty talk is worthless. If we want people to eulogize us at our passing, we must become people who act like we love the people in our lives. And it is not simply in the grand gestures that we do so, but in the infinite small acts of love done on a regular basis.

Much of what makes the journey toward simpler living so meaningful is having special people to share it with. And the truth is that the less time we devote to shopping, buying, maintaining, securing, and insuring stuff the more time we have to spend with the loved ones in our lives. Allow me to challenge you to consider ways of streamlining your lifestyle so you can enjoy the journey of life with less stress and more love.