I think it's my favorite because it doesn't celebrate anything else other than love. And I'm not sure if the holiday was meant to be reserved for those you have a romantic love for, but I don't care. I like to think Valentine's Day is meant for all of those you love.
I'm a lover. I always have been. I have a really short fuse. My temper is awful. Yet as quickly as I am angered is as quickly as it is gone. I rarely hold grudges. I rarely yell. Most times that's a good thing, but sometimes I wish I were better at sticking up for myself.
Anyway, back to the love. In honor of this special day I thought I would try to list some of the things that I truly love. Some of them are people, some are inanimate objects, some are memories, and some are dreams. I have no idea of whether or not this will interest you, but I feel moved to share anyway.
- the sound of rain on a tin roof - my sister, Lydia, and I used to share a bed when we lived in our single wide trailer. We had a little window in our room. I remember just laying there thinking how beautiful the rain was. How everything was right in my life (I was very young.)
- the smell of Tommy Girl perfume - I wore this perfume when I was in Australia. I don't even have it anymore, but when I smell it, I am literally transported back to that place. My mind allows me to see, hear, smell, and feel everything that Australia was to me.
- writing - I don' t know if I'm a good writer. I often don't pay too much attention to grammar like I should. Some people have told me that I'm talented. I'm forever working on this one book. I have written countless poems. I write best at night.
- ice cream - I love Breyers chocolate chip cookie dough. I've tried other brands and it's just not the same. Mind you, I haven't had any in quite some time. Ice cream doesn't help me lose weight.
- my girls - I actually have 4. Of course there is Remle and Daily, but I have two Jack Russells living with me right now (one on loan from my sister while her fence is being built.) Playing outside with all 4 of them is fun. My daughters love them and my dogs love the attention. I have always been a dog person, I grew up with them. I highly recommend the movie "Marley and Me." If you are considering owing a dog, or having children, or either one, or both, you should see this movie.
- Sha - we've known each other since kindergarten. You always hear about the good friends that you'll have in different seasons of your life. I agree, I have had some friends that were perfect for me when I was in a certain place. But my friendship with Sha has seemed to transcend all of that. Mind you we haven't always been the closest. We had our times when we argued or simply had other things going on. And all of those times we have found a way to find each other again. We have never had a problem picking up where we left off. I have no reservations with her. I laugh at her and cry with her. I believe in her. She encourages me and keeps me grounded. I am appreciative for everything she has done and everything she has kept me from doing. I have no reason to believe that our friendship will ever end. I think she is truly one of those gifts that God knew I would really need.
- my family - I have a big family. Of course there are my parents and sister and brother-in-law; my in laws; my little foursome. And then there are the extended one. My cousins are more like my siblings. My aunts and uncles more my parents. We have a unusual chemistry. Like in the movies in a way. Difficult to explain and not always stable, but a force to be reckoned with.
- my role models - all of them at different times in my life, and I'm sure I'll leave some out, but a few to start: my parents, my sisters, the Bright family, the Moore family, Michele Moss Brown, Christy Honeycutt Brockman, Grant Knisley, Jamie Robinson, the Rubios, my grandparents, my aunts, Sha Moore Toohig, Tami Billings (wherever you may be,) Lois Colvett, Janet Honeycutt, Johnny Cash, Jeanie Finzer, Teena Cummings, the Chesters, Marka Bennett, Debbie Edwards, the Iveys, Tim Cutberth, Mr. Sanders, Tommy Drinnen, Karen and Garry Brown...to name a few.
- Opryland - I know this sounds crazy. It's not even there anymore. When they tore it down, I mourned for months. That place had so many memories for me. I knew it like the back of my hand, and being a roller coaster fan, I went way too many times to count. I miss it and I know there are better theme parks out there, but I really wish I could have taken my girls there. They would probably look at it and laugh. But I don't have a single bad memory of that place. It made me happy. What's so wrong with that?
- music - I saved the best for the last because if you know me, you know how I crave it. While I do love a good song, lyrics do not have to be involved. I can hear a song once and if it grabs me, I know it. You may know I sing a little. I'm loud and it used to get me made fun of. I can sing softly, but if I'm singing because I want to and not paying attention, I am loud. I love the way music makes me feel better. I love the way it can make me cry. How like a certain smell, just a few notes can take me to a different place in time. I love how music can communicate so much more than words can. It is timeless and perfect and without prejudice. It is my sanctuary.
So that was a pretty long list and I thought I was keeping it short. You may have known that I loved all of these things. But on Valentine's Day, a day set apart for love, I wanted to share.
Valentine's day never really goes the way I think it will. And really it's just one day, I shouldn't put that much emphasis on it. My dad always brought my sister and I a rose and something chocolate to school. Maybe that's how it started for me. All I know is that I hope that I can pass the importance of love to my children. Love is something that you do. And if only in the smallest of ways, an impact is still made.
Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you know you are loved.
