Painted Polymer Clay Heart Pendant by Shing Yin Khor of http://www.sawdustbear.com/
I began working with Deena Metzger’s Writing For Your Life again as part of my effort to reconnect with my self. And the exercise I was up to was to create a list of the things I love. It was incredibly easy to write, and the list kept growing over the next few days.
Deena Metzger writes – “How we care, what we care about, what we care for are the qualities that reveal character… it is not by one’s sins that you know someone but by what the person celebrates. We often make a fetish out of our failures, losses, and inadequacies. As a consequence, we rarely come to know what gives us joy, what we love, what and how we celebrate. And yet, at the core, we are our passions and our commitment to what we love.”
So, I’m going to share my rather long list with you, and it’s in no particular order.
The Things I Love
- My son, my husband, my family, and my soul friends – each deserves a list of their own for their individual traits and significant moments that make me love them
- The animals that have been a profound part of my life
- Water – waves crashing, water falls, calm ponds, long soaks in the tub – love it all
- The laughter of children
- Cuddling babies
- Autumn in all its glory – the color, the smell of the leaves and people turning on their fireplaces or burning brush, the first frost, the bite in the air
- Wearing twirly, swishy skirts and spinning to make them swirl
- Making friends with animals and calling every dog I meet “sweetheart”
- Seeing the moon huge and orange in the sky and seeing too many stars to count
- Watching flames move in candles and fireplaces and bonfires
- Watching thunderstorms
- Dancing and playing in the rain
- Running and skidding across slippery, slushie sidewalks, arms out to hold my balance like I’m surfing
- Frolicking in the snow
- The smell of tomato sauce cooking and a bold, red wine
- The smell of drying grass
- The feel of grass beneath my bare feet
- Walking barefoot on a beach with the water lapping over
- The breeze playing through my hair
- Hands playing with my hair, human connection
- Hugs that are strong and last almost a moment too long
- Sleepy lovemaking, when kisses start before you are fully awake so you feel like you might still be dreaming
- The feel of fine fabrics between my fingers
- A book or work of art that makes me think or allows me to escape
- Music so beautiful that it moves me to tears or makes my body dance
- A witty, effortless conversation
- Creating – the process of creating anything – feeling the connection within and without as I make – music, art, writing, cooking, even carrying and birthing my son – feeling that spark of inner divinity through creation is so profound
- Recognizing that creative spark in other people and trying to get them to recognize it within themselves
I’m not sure what kind of portrait this paints, but feel free to let me know if you have an opinion. Also, please share with me some of the things you love most in life, if you are so inclined. I would enjoy reading them.
Kat Micari 