Top ten

My favorite blogger, Sean Dietrich, posted a list today of ten things he loves. He did it in response to a young man he met, who in spite of having health challenges, reminds himself of his blessings by making a list of ten things that he loves. The list is a reminder that there is always something positive in life if you look for it.

I frequently make a mental list of my blessings when I walk in the morning. When I start my day with gratitude, it tends to go well. I’ve heard so many sad stories in the last couple weeks, enough to buckle my knees—the kind of stories that make me ask myself, “how can these people find the strength to go on?” It’s time for a list of the things I love:

I love mornings. I’m not a bounce-out-of-bed-singing kind of person like my husband. I’m more of a slowly-come-to-life-after-coffee woman, but I love that time of day when the house is quiet and I have the luxury of time to think, to replay dreams, to write, to plan my day. I remember the days before retiring when I woke to an alarm and rushed straight into tasks. A slow wake up is a gift.
I love my family. I imagine that family would show up for many people on a list of blessings, but, for me, it’s not a cliche. My family is my rock, my foundation. I have friends who never married or didn’t have kids. They seem happy, but I personally can’t imagine this stage of life without my sons and grandkids, my brother and his wife, my nephews. We share good times, shoulder bad and care for each other daily.
I love babies. My face lights up when I am around babies and toddlers. I love the powdery smell of a freshly washed babe, the tangy smell of fat little feet, the milky smell of their sleepy breaths. I love watching them discover the world, the unfolding of their unique personalities. I love a baby’s hearty laugh.
I love books and bookstores. One of my favorite places to disappear into when I’m on vacation is a small, independent bookstore. I could spend hours browsing the shelves for unusual finds—a regional history book or poetry by a local writer. I always manage to find a book I have to have. It will prompt memories of my trip long after I finish reading it and return home.
I love being on the water. I’m not a swimmer and I don’t want the responsibility of piloting a boat, but put me on a ferry or a sailboat or in a runabout or even on the local boat cruise on Geneva Lake and I relax. There’s something about the movement, the expansive view of the horizon from the water, that brings a new perspective and clears my head.
I love Fall in the Midwest. Autumn is my favorite season. I love the bright colors of the leaves, the cooler temps after a hot, humid summer, the smell of campfires, wearing jeans and sweatshirts again, cozying up to one-pot meals.
I love homemade gifts. Make something for me and I will be forever grateful. I treasure the quilts gifted to me by friends, the artwork, the edible treats, the knitted socks, the pottery shaped by my granddaughter’s hands. I think about the inspiration, craft and time that went into each gift and love knowing that those things were made just for me.
I love stories. I grew up in a family of storytellers. I love when someone shares a slice of their life with me via story. Make me laugh. Let me cry with you. Open my mind with your stories. Another blogger that I follow—Patti Digh—says “The shortest distance between two people is a story.”
I love a perfectly chilled martini, although these days, it’s a rare treat and half a one will do. I like a vodka martini, very, very dry with anchovy olives or bleu cheese stuffed olives that make an oil slick on the surface or huge, crisp Spanish olives stuffed with red pimentos. Serve my martini with four olives, please.
I love being reminded that in spite of the suffering in this world, people find the strength to look away from what is hard to bear and determinedly focus on what is good.