15 things I love...about life

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day – the one day of the year devoted to celebrating love. I’ve never been a huge fan of the occasion (my Valentine’s Day motto used to be “Cupid, Cupid, Cupid. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid.”). I object to its commercialism, and to the pressure to be romantic and loving one day out of 365. However, I do feel that love – in all its forms – is worthy of celebration, no matter the day.

I was going to write a blog post yesterday (on the 14^th) called “14 things I love…about life” but yesterday was full and I was tired and…I didn’t. Uninhibited by the fact that Valentine’s Day has passed (and believing that one should celebrate love at least two days out of 365), I have modified my post on the 15^th) to be “15 things I love…about life.” They are entirely random, just the way I like (love) it.

1. I love that this is my blog and I can write what I want.

2. I love when you talk to a dog and he/she cocks his/her head as if to truly understand what you’re saying.

3. I love that people throughout history have been so driven to create music that they crafted instruments from wood, string and found objects and then learned to play them for the pure joy of it.

4. I love sparkling clean bathrooms (mine doesn’t often make the cut, but I REALLY love when that happens).

5. I love comedic irony: As I was getting off the staff shuttle at work the other day, I bumped my head…on the first aid kit…in front of two safety officers (I also love the fact that my head is totally fine, and that I could amuse others with this story).

6. I love the fact that at the beginning of every season, people are as amazed by “firsts” as they were the year before (first snow of winter, first crocus in spring, first hot day of summer, the first (and last) changing of the leaves in fall).

7. I love laughs that come straight from the belly – they are always the real thing. I especially love baby laughs. They haven’t learned to fake it yet.

8. I love real butter. On toast. On potatoes. On popcorn. On pretty much anything. There is no substitute. Don’t try to convince me otherwise.

9. I love good grammar. Really – it makes me happy.

10. I love new slippers. Note to self as I look down at my slippers, a giant hole in each foot: Buy new slippers.

11. I love post-it notes. Seriously brilliant.

12. I love a good romantic comedy. Predictable? Yes. There’s something comforting about knowing everything’s going to turn out okay in the end.

13. I love jumping into the ocean on a hot day. There’s a moment, when hot meets cool and there’s nothing else in the world besides right here, right now, that is pure magic.

14. I love even numbers. There’s something very…even…about them.

15. I love the fact that there are people in the world who collect garden gnomes and people who build model trains and people who climb mountains and people who sail around the world and people who win spelling bees and people who keep impeccable lawns. I love that everybody is into something – big or small – and somehow, we all have a place in the world, whether we’ve found it yet or not.

Yeah, there’s lots to love – and enough days in a year (and in a lifetime) to spread it around.