LOVES - Day 2

Day 2  - Listing 9 of my loves:

1. MY FAMILY - my children, parents, sisters.  I may not talk to my parents as often as I should, but the older I get, the more I realize how much they have sacrificed over the years to raise me and my sisters.  I rarely talk to my sisters, but I know that if they need me or I need them, we would always be there for each other. My children are the driving force behind my happiness and my desire to be a better person, for their sake, and for my own. They won't fully understand how I feel about them until they have children of their own.

2. MUSIC - nearly all types. Some because of the lyrics...I find deep meaning behind a great love song or sad songs. I cry, I brood, I release things that can't be let go through words. On the flip side, I love some music strictly for the rhythm. To dance to, rock out to, fall asleep to. No matter the mood I am in, I am able to find a soundtrack to fit my life at that particular moment, and lose myself in it. 

3. STARS - The is nothing better than laying in the dark losing yourself in a clear sky full of stars.  Peaceful, romantic, calming, uplifting, whatever the need may be. I become so small and insignificant, yet also feel a great sense of purpose for being alive. It is with great wonder that I am able to gain perspective and feel at peace for even a few moments.

4. BODIES OF WATER - Be it a lake, river, stream, pond or ocean, water and being in the water transforms me into a weightless, mindless creature. (For that matter, bathtubs and hot tubs work too!) I'll never understand the power of the pull of the tide or the undercurrent. It is like a perfectly orchestrated struggle, that somehow works out over and over again. 

5. WORDS - I may not be able to always write what I mean, or say what I feel, or read what I need, but the power of words can buildup and create or destroy everything. I know of nothing more powerful. To hear someone speak to me and say words that incite a reaction. Three small words that range from I Hate You to I Love You, and everything in between.

6. LAUGHTER - Coming from myself or the people around me. Being entertained and appreciating witty banter between friends, listening to comedians, watching sitcoms, observing children at play...when the laughter begins, I usually find myself fully immersed in the pleasure of letting mine go. 

7. KISSING - do I really need to explain this? I think that if there ever came a day that I had to choose only one physical touch that would always be available to me, it would be a kiss. Forehead kisses when sad, kisses on the cheek from a friend, on the back of my hand while walking side by side, on my neck during ... Well, you get the point. Of course, a well spent kiss on my mouth would be great just about anytime. 

8. COFFEE - I know, silly right? There is something to be said about sharing coffee with a friend. A cold fall day, on a bench, with a best friend beside you. It also goes quite well when I am alone and want some quiet time. I haven't encountered a time when a cup of coffee wouldn't make a great situation just a little bit better. Even some nights right before bed. I guess it just has that effect on me.

9. MYSELF - This is new for me, and some may argue that if I truly loved myself, I wouldn't be so hard on myself. Well, I'm learning. I'm growing from someone that struggles with self-image and depreciation into a woman that accepts her flaws and strives to improve on her strong points. I'm trying to find more things to love about myself, and focus on my desire to gain confidence and value. I will not allow myself to be put in situations that tear me down without building me up to be better than before. I'm over that period in my life. I am enough, and I will continue to become more than enough.

"Your task is not to seek for Love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." - Rumi