Just a Few Things I Love [an exercise in gratitude]
I love when my husband makes me coffee in the morning–and I love really good, black coffee.
I love homemade bread with plenty of butter and a pinch of sea salt, sunny fall days, and unexpected acts of kindness.
I love fresh flowers and good quality candles, a big mug that feels comforting–like a well worn sweatshirt.
I love people who love my kids, cozying up under a soft blanket, and donning an oversized sweater. I love afternoon thunderstorms and leafing through beautiful cookbooks with doable recipes.
I love listening to my kids laugh, their giggles and grins spreading joy through the whole house. I love when they crawl into my lap first thing in the morning, sleep still in their eyes as they nuzzle their way into my chest.
I love unexpected messages from friends, words of encouragement that come just at the right time. I love getting outside, the stillness of early mornings, and quiet walks around the block.
I love sleeping newborns, a really good sandwich, and watching my husband chop firewood. I love when my dog pushes her head under my arm, shamelessly asking for attention.
I love when that same dog wakes my husband up in the morning by licking his face. Nothing makes me laugh harder than seeing him cringe and then crawl underneath the blankets in an attempt to escape her affection.
I love New Jersey pizza, my writing mastermind group, and cooking new recipes. I love the creative process of putting together are charcuterie board, and I love quality dark chocolate.
I love when my words resonate with someone, when they can see themselves in my story and ultimately see the goodness of God.
I love lingering over a Scripture passage, sinking into it without rushing, savoring it like a good meal. I love when authors put things into words I haven’t been able to express, when a truth “clicks” in my heart in a new and convicting way.
I love a good cup of tea in the afternoon, a book in my lap, and fire in the fireplace.
I love hiking along a quiet trail and cooking alone in my kitchen with music playing while sipping a glass of wine.
I love sitting around a table or in a family room, talking late into the night with my siblings and our spouses.
I love listening to my dad tell stories–stories about his time in the military, stories about his younger years, stories of God’s faithfulness.
I love family that spoils my kids, that feeling of finally finishing something I’ve been putting off for a while, and people who are randomly generous. I love when the barista says my coffee is on the house or a restaurant throws in an extra appetizer with our takeout order.
I love big family meals, eaten all together around the table.
I love when my kids say funny things or share insights into God and life that seem far beyond their years.
I love when people drop their own tasks to help fix a broken appliance or shovel our driveway when we’re out of town.
I love watching my kids find their own interests and seeing them explore their creativity and passions. I love when my kids give each other hugs, even when it turns into raucous wrestling.
I love how my dog seems to know when I’m sad, how she shoves her nose onto my lap as if to say, “Here, pet me. It helps with the sadness.”
I love when my husband deals with a poop or pee or some other bodily function accident from my kids and doesn’t ask for my help.
I love when my kids say “I love you” completely unprompted and when my husband says I love you every evening through cleaning up the kitchen and starting a load of laundry.
I love avocado toast. I don’t care how outdated the trend is. I still love it, and I think it’s all it was once cracked up to be.
I love how my husband doesn’t get upset when I linger in my chair, alone, for a few extra minutes in the morning, how he starts fixing breakfast for everyone, empties the dishwasher, and gives me the grace to slowly ease into the day.
I love when I get to see glimpses of divine timing, when events are orchestrated in a way only God could manage.
There are a thousand things I love, a thousand times I’ve been shown love. This list is far from complete. But it’s a gift to the soul just to stop and count the ways.
P.S. For whatever reason, I found that this prompt spurred on so many more ideas than a typical “what are you grateful for” prompt. So grab a pen or open the Notes app on your phone, and start a list. What do you love?
This post was inspired by Courtney Martin. Want to read a few more? Here’s Katie’s, Sonya’s, and Ashlee’s.
Photo by Anna Guziak Photography.
