Written by Esther Kamoche Robinson
Dutch Country Farmers Market in Laurel, Maryland.
Growing up I was raised as a Pentecostal Christian. When I was young girl, I was given a black amish doll as a gift. I carried her around for decades and she was my pride and joy. I loved and treasured my Amish doll. She wore a simple black and white bonnet, and wore a matching dress. My Amish doll was made from soft cloth and her face didn't have any facial features. She was simple, plain, and dark. She was black and beautiful as midnight.
Amish people have always fascinated me. I loved their delightful but simple style of living. My pentecostal church was a good distance from downtown Buffalo and sometimes we would take the Greyhound bus to church, whenever we couldn't hitch a ride with our church family members. My family and I would often cross paths with the Amish at the Downtown Buffalo Greyhound Station and despite them not trying to stand out, they did for me. They live quietly but it spoke volumes to me. The trust they have in God is clearly evident in the way they continue living out their faith generation after generation. The quiet yet strong manner in which they hold themselves apart continues to fascinate me.
As an adult I have read at least a hundred Amish romance novels and own quite a few. Right now I have at least 5 Amish romances stashed in my giant blue USAA library bag silently tempting me away to a simpler life. Now that I think about it I am going to reduce my list of 10 things I love about the Amish to 6 things so I can go back to reading my Amish romance novels.
6 Things I love about the Amish
I love that they make or purchase simple non flashy toys for their kids. This encourages their children to use their imagination and at the same time it aligns with their faith goals of living simply. This also gives them a reason to visit the library and read and this ultimately promotes the love of literacy. (All of these are teacher approved activities!)
The Amish don't want to have their photographs taken and they don't use many of the modern conveniences that we use today like having television, electronics, or electricity in their homes. What I love about this is that they live off the grid, value privacy so they can fully concentrate on being in the moment with their love ones and God.
The Amish believe that many hands make light work so having barn raising where the men build and the women assist with the food service is commonplace. Think a long table with a lot of delicious foods outside for Thanksgiving like the First Thanksgiving story or a Hollywood set that has a long craft service table for the actors. Everyone in the Amish community pitches in and works together to do God honest work, so the job can be done in a timely manner.
Potlucks are a normal part of celebrations at church and at home and there are a lot of farm to the table recipes and deliciousness on the table. Where every family contributes by bringing one dish and before long the table is completely set for celebrating. The space and the people are ready for a good time. I like to think of this like everyone in the community is getting ready for a country dance party.
Most of all I love that reading the Bible everyday, participating in evening/morning prayers, and having mealtimes together as a family is an important part of their day.
I also love that the Amish attend church every other week and have a second Christmas or Easter to visit extended relatives. They have more reasons to celebrate Jesus and apply their faith. This enables them to spend more time with family and friends through the year.
Over the years I have incorporated some of these ideas in the way that I live. I have also styled the interior of my home like the Amish with lots of dark natural wood elements and natural tones and simple decor. To me the Amish interior design style embrace a unique but simplistic but elegant way of living which I truly love. The African, British Colonial, and Amish influences that I have in my home bring me lots of mental peace, clarity, and joy. The Amish quiet manner of living continues to intrigue me today and I often find myself finding quiet ways to connect and support the Amish community wherever I travel.
Dutch Country Farmers Market in Laurel, Maryland.
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