Several things have been swirling in my head today as I run from one errand to the next in preparation for Thanksgiving. My to-do list from this past Sunday all the way up to Thursday morning is 50+ lines long.
I'm not nuts... really! And, somehow I am not overwhelmed like many in my family assume I am with so much prep going on.
I'm pretty serene. And not, calm-before-the-storm serene.
Just serene.
This past year has been a great challenge for me in many ways. But it has also been immensely rewarding and eye-opening.
A friend from MySpace named Dee (a.k.a. Finding Jack) once asked me to think of things I love and kindly challenged me to come up with 100 things. That night I came up with 201. I woke up with more and each day I add a few more things I love. This list has made me see the things I value and cherish most in my life just through the simple action of putting pen to paper.
Here are the first 15 that I wrote over a year ago when Dee requested this of me. I just started writing them... they are in the order that I wrote them.
1- I love my grandma’s messages on my answering machine. She would always say "... love you" and make kissing noises. I have them recorded and listen to them from time to time.
2- I love talking to my gramma even though she is no longer on earth and telling her about her great-grandchildren. I miss her more than I could ever express!
3- I love my husbands' heart. He is a wonderful man.
4- I love my son's mischief. He is not afraid to try anything at least once.
5- I love my 2nd son’s excitement. Everything is so new to him.
6- I love my mother's laugh. They way her whole face gets into it.
7- I love my dad playing the song 500 miles (or any other song) for me on his guitar.
8- I love the color green... every single color of green.
9- I love almost every holiday now... I love experiencing them more with my sons and the rest of my family. Making crafts, treats.
10- I love sewing gifts for people rather than buying them whenever I can.
11- I love repetition meditation in many forms.
12- I am finally starting to love me after 33 years.
13- I love Kitaro (musician). Great to write to.
14- I love chocolate. LOVE chocolate.
15- I love donating books to my library and knowing they are being better used there than collecting dust at my house.
The list is up to about 550 now and I intend to keep doing it. For me, it seems to help me focus on what is most important to me and for my well being-- and to steer clear of things that don't really matter.
So, back to Thanksgiving. Why am I going all-out with the homemade everything and the shi-shi silver and the china and the crystal and the la la lalalalla...
I'm doing it because I love my family and this meal is one way for me to express my thanks for having them in my life.
I'm doing it because there is no reason to keep all that silver and china and crystal if I'm not going to use it...
I'm doing it because it makes me feel good not because I HAVE to. I want to. It's another thing I love...
So, what do you love? Can you come up with 100 things (big or little) that you love?
