A Few of My Favorite Things

Oct. 22, 2013

Psalm 84:11

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those walk is blameless.

While in the car today, three-year-old Ellie asked me, “Is the sun following us?” It kept getting into her eyes as we traveled down curvy roads. Earlier, in the TV room at my in-laws, she asked for sunglasses “because the sun was in my eyes.” Even Dylan struggled with the sun until I convinced him to move out of the direct sun.

After a few cloudy days, who doesn’t love a sunny day, even with a wind? Sun is a favorite of mine. I am not sure that I could live where it rains half the year.

When I need a mental break, I think (or indulge) in my favorite things:

• Good lotion. My skin loves lotion. I choose to give it lotion it loves.
• 8 o’clock coffee, introduced to me by my deceased Uncle Morrie.
• Good napkins. His wife, Aunt Beverly, told me she no longer buys the cheapies. I took her advice and now spend a few cents more for nice ones.
• My favorite running shoes. I think I am on my 10^th pair of Asics Gel Kayano’s. I’ve tried others. I always go back.
• Walking into a clean house after being gone. Before our first trip as a married couple, I stayed up most of the night taking down Christmas decorations and making sure the kitchen floor was clean. Rick thought I was crazy. It just makes me breathe better when I open the door.
• Good-smelling bubble bath. Why bother with anything else?

There’s a song in my favorite musical that goes like this: “Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens. Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens. Brown paper packages tied up with strings. These are a few of my favorite things.” You probably know it, “My Favorite Things.”

When my brain needs a pick-me-up, I remember my favorite things. I smell the lotion on my hands. I indulge in a cup of coffee. For Rick, it’s a beautiful sunrise or an awesome sunset.

How easy it is to stop relishing the little things that make life special. When we stop valuing these things, life only gets crazier. Remember the song’s ending: “When the dog bites, when the bee sting, when I’m feeling sad. I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don’t feel so bad.”

Another favorite thing from today: just a couple minutes after Ellie asked if the sun was following us, she asked another question. She asked, “Is God following us?” My response: “Most definitely, Ellie. God follows us everywhere. Aren’t we lucky?” 

Lord God, help keep us humble. Help us realize that our days of growing and learning still abound. Make known to us specific ways you want us to grow and learn in the next few months. Help us see how we can find the time, the resources and the desire to keep our brains fit to serve you. Amen.

Blessings –

Dianne

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