My girls have this thing, lately, where they ask me for my favorite EVERYTHING. Favorite song? Color? Movie? Vacation spot? Book? Food? Thing to do outside? Thing to do inside? And my answer is nearly always the same. "I don't really have a favorite." It all depends on the mood and the context.
Favorite movie? I could go with Keeping the Faith because of the memories it evokes (and its message is pretty cool, too) but I could just as easily point to Dirty Dancing when the need to mindlessly engage in nostalgia and fun music is the call of the day. It depends.
With that in mind, I decided to curate a List of Likes. Some would say "these are a few of my favorite things" and I suppose that could be true. It's a random list, but here it is!
The fact that it’s still light out at 4:57pm! Who's with me? Who's enjoying the idea that days are getting longer? It's subtle, but it's happening. And it's a lovely reminder of what's to come.
The luxury of curling up with a cozy blanket, a mug of tea and a good book. Bonus if one of the girls curls up on/with me! Extra bonus if it’s dreary enough to turn the fireplace on and really get the mood! I'm determined to stay the course with my goal of at least 10 pages a day, so reading has returned to its spot on the TO DO list. It still feels like such a luxury, but maybe that's the point?
Driveway visits from my Mom---with food! So yes, COVID stinks. And being apart from family really stinks. Not being able to hug my Mom and Dad? Ugh---temporary though it is, it's still a gut punch. So when my Mom invents reasons to pop over for a driveway visit, we indulge. And when the reason she invents involves bringing food, we're extra happy. I really believe that no matter how old you are, having your Mom take care of you in big or even small ways is a huge blessing.
Supportive husbands! He barely blinked when I declared January as No Spenduary AND another round of Whole 30. And he could have. He could have rolled his eyes and told me I was on my own. But he didn't. God love Mark, he dove into meal planning with me, committed to making the next 30 days really count and gave me a shot of encouragement. I've always said there's a difference between being ALLOWED do something and being ENCOURAGED to do it. I'm pretty glad Mark's along for the ride with me, because it's a lot easier with him in my corner, that's for sure!
Amazing friends--including those I've never even met! Yeah, that's right! I count myself incredibly blessed to have friends who cheer me on, talk me down, lift me up and bring out my best even when they've seen me at my worst. And while the pandemic has done a banner job of limiting or eliminating our together time, our bonds have become even stronger.
It's a 10 minute chat across the yard in the middle of a walk, a New Year's Eve tradition reimagined rather than altogether cancelled and the enthusiastic offer to support a work-related project that culminated in a Starbucks date where we sat outside, enjoying an abnormally warm December day! It's the weekly TWOsday text train that's been going on for 5 years. It's sharing books, sharing coping mechanisms for the heavy moments and sharing laughs. Friends are rich treasures to be held close.
And then there's this fantastic group of "pocket friends" (phrase borrowed from one of the lovely ladies in the group) that I was invited to join last year during Dry January. I know ONE person in this group--my friend Sarah (the one I've never met in person, despite being friends for nearly 20 years...say whaaaaa!?) but that has zero impact on the value of this squad. I'm so enjoying the humor, wisdom, support and perspective of this group of cool humans. I could easily picture us all gathered around a huge farm table for a lovely brunch. It's that kind of vibe. And I'm grateful for it.
Playoff football! I've lost my dedication to the NFL, haven't watched many games in the past few years, but there's something about the energy of playoff football. There's an extra urgency to each play, there's a level of stress that's just this side of too much--and I have tons of fond memories of watch parties at our house with awesome friends, food for miles and superstitions galore. Bonus when there's some friendly trash talking going on with a buddy! Good stuff!
And while we're talking sports....HOCKEY'S BACK! As of this week, the Pens will be on the ice again and that just feels right. Cozy nights watching them while wearing my lucky pants and listening to the girls go crazy when they score? So. Much. Fun!
Music! There is no way I could ever pick a favorite. Song, genre---nope! A single one of my playlists includes everything from Frank Sinatra to Lauren Daigle to Blue October, Dua Lipa, Gavin DeGraw and even something from the Zombies soundtrack. Honest! But man does music do all the things. Soothe my heart? Yup! Energize me? No doubt. Bring back amazing memories of a specific moment in time? So frequently. Via Alexa, Amazon Music or even good ole CDs, I'm forever playing something in the background.
My Bellabeat. I was fortunate to receive this gem as a gift, then sadly--it sat unused for way too long before I figured it out (eye roll, go ahead!) with the help of the lovely Kate. Know I wear it daily and love the tracking, the gentle reminders to move more, grab water and even the 3:00 alarm that reminds me to pause and whisper a specific prayer. There's a saying that your only competition is yourself. With Bellabeat, I can see my daily activity levels and challenge myself to be better the next day. It's a fun game, where even when I lose I win! Plus, it's pretty and versatile, able to be worn like (because it looks like) jewelry.
And finally, my blog! One of my 2021 goals is to write at least one post per week. Sitting quietly (with music of course) at the computer and sharing thoughts or recipes or observations--it somehow both energizes me and calms me. See? I can't even pick a favorite emotion/response. No matter. I'll keep writing. For one person, for a bunch of people. For me, for an audience. I'll keep writing. Because that is, and has been for as long as I can remember, definitely one of my favorite things!
xo,
Amy
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