Lately I have been thinking about the things in life that are my favorite. It's a thought that has been tapping on my shoulder as I've been living my life. I don't really know why either, except that I believe it's good to be alive. Fully alive. And delight is a part of that.
I've sort of been a curmudgeon inside, but I don't think that people can see that because I have become good at pretending. But let me tell you, there is some cynicism that happily lives inside of me until I foist it out. And I can be pretty vile and mean sometimes too. Sometimes I can use words to be funny, but it's not very nice, even when I feel momentarily justified by it. I felt that way this morning, so I confessed it. And felt pretty human. And this made me think about Jesus and being in a redemption story and how good that feels too. Even when I'm exasperated and bewildered and feel justified about the stank eye I just gave the world.
And then, lately, I come to my favorite things. Here are a few I just thought of.
One time this summer, I was walking through the grocery store in the produce section, and suddenly the mist came on and covered all of the broccoli. And it made me so happy, and I still don't know why. Now that I think of it, I've always loved when the veggies get a little mist. I remember this in my childhood too. What a weird thing to be happy about. Weirder yet, for all of my thoughts about everything, there is really nothing more I can think of to explain why I like when vegetables get a little shower. I just get happy. And that's probably the point.
I really like book dedications. I like when people make them interesting and say something besides, 'To Duncan, my everything'. Come on, really? I am all for poetic, but how about something that doesn't make people throw up a little in their mouths every time they read it? Practicality has a place on the book dedication page. It stays there for a long time. So I like when they imply that the reader looked at a blank page and thought a little before they wrote.
I like the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' signs, even though they've become a parody. I like that it makes me think about brave English people in 1939 who were in survival mode but still lived their lives. We've made it silly, but it wasn't back then. Can you even imagine if you were walking along the street, and the times were so fraught with tension and danger that the government made those posters for you to help you keep going?
I like that the sea is blue and green all at once. When I went to Connecticut and Rhode Island this year to see my friends, I could not believe how lovely it was to look at the ocean. It's a different feeling than what you get to when you see a glacier pond or a lake up north. The sea is more timeless. And wild. I felt like I was all by myself in a good, rich solitude and it would follow me even after I left the view. And that is what happened.
I like when my dad and I talk. He tells funny stories that are a mix of both Clark Griswold and George Banks all at once. Sometimes he gives me advice a few times to make sure that I heard it. I like that I have a good dad who pays attention to what I say and teases me and calls me out on things and asks me how my car is running. One time last year I was telling my students about the 1930s, and it came to a story my dad told me. I told it to them the way my dad would say it, and then a kid raised his hand and said, 'Hey, I think I'd like to meet your dad.' I thought it was hilarious. (He did too.) My parents are silly together sometimes. They like to be together. And I am grateful for this too.
Speaking of people, I also like when I meet people in the world who know what they are about and who they are. I think there is a hidden quality to this kind of person...they don't know their charm because they are not focused on impressing anyone or proving a point. So many people are living their lives trying to prove a point. I like the people who make you feel that you can breathe and rest easy. In such a busy and hyped up world, this is no small thing.
Last of all, I like the feeling you have at some one's door, right before they open it, when you know you're going to have a great time. I love parties. It doesn't matter if you've been there a million times and you know exactly what kind of beer they are going to offer you, or if you're brand new to the place. When you stand at the door, sometimes you can tell. It's the anticipation that brought you to the place at all meeting 'now' in one sudden, fleeting moment. The next time you are in that place...at a door, before a party...look for this moment and see if you feel it too. Be ready though. It is quick.
When my friend Kari died a few years ago, one of the hardest thoughts was that she would not be there at my door, waiting to join parties. Usually she was laughing at something that John said, and they would come in and tell me about it while we hugged. And in this, I see that 'All things great are wound up with all things little.'
I barely ever write by moonlight as I am much more often made for early mornings. But tonight was good for attention to the favorite things. As always, it makes room for something fresh and real. And it makes me breathe in and out and look for life. God is always winding exceptional creativity throughout our stories. I am once again dropping anchor in this good thing.
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