I posted my love list the other day, and although it was ridiculously long, I know, I could have gone on and on and on. I found myself hitting my forehead at random times throughout the week; how could I have forgotten my birthday or Ashlee Simpson's first CD (shut it) or new jeans or a hand-written letter or Indian food or watching a child read for the first time? It'll remain an always-growing and never-ending list. I also monitored my stats a tad closer than usual to see if anyone else was taking the bait. I read all of your posts I could find, and I thought I'd share them here.
(My favorite lines are italicized, to give you a feel for the author.)
MeganJane (posted via flickr). "I love curling up on the couch with a glass of really good red wine, in the fall, when the windows are open, and a cool breeze is softly blowing in." (Her photographs are going to stun you. Be sure you're properly seated.)
Art By Chrysti "I love long, drawn-out and dramatic monologues and cheesy love speeches in movies." (Chrysti, me too. ME TOO.)
Slynnro "I love tomato soup with croutons."
Sensibly Sassy "I love the high I can only get from dancing."
Design Gal & Her Handyman "I love being outside at night in the summertime when it's still warm."
Formation of Me "I hate Nicolas Cage. No, I haven’t seen him in whatever movie made you like him. No, I won’t see it even on your suggestion. Sorry, that’s just how my hate rolls." (She spiced it up a little and made a "hate" list which I loved. Mine is soon to come, I think. Including: credit scores and the executives at CW. And, yes, Nicolas Cage except in The Rock, but only because Brenda was in it with him.)
Clever Blog Name Here "I love a fresh clean house and inviting people over." (Also, take a look at her photos—they're incredible.)
Cryptic Words Meander "I love putting a heating pad between my sheets before I get in bed so that the space where my feet will go gets all toasty warm." (I swear, I did this just last night.)
Rhi In Pink "I love a completed to-do list ... paying off a bill ... freshly colored hair."
Jodifur "I love spicy food. . . . I love a good glass of red wine, especially with dark chocolate."
Just Expressive " I love sliding into completely still water. . . . I love black and white photography and how it seems to make time more important."
Ramblings of "Just A College Kid" "I love being barefoot and being outside."
Princess Nebraska "I love Thin Mints ... Joey and Pacey ... Burger King crowns ... to hear the story of when I was born." (What didn't I love from her list?)
Pearls And Cupcakes "I love Friday afternoon tea and Sunday morning brunch."
Someone Being Me "I love crawling into bed in the middle of the day for the perfect nap. I love getting cards in the mail."
Sharon's Space "Hope and grace"
Thunderously Awesome "I love to think that the universe is teeming with intelligent life, and that someday, somehow, mankind will bridge the gap and make contact with it." (Aaron is Stara's husband. And I loved this post and this line especially because if Mike ever made a list, this would absolutely be on it, along with "The Discovery Channel and Rage Against the Machine.")
Tied Up With a Black Velvet Band "I love it when my house is just cleaned, there are fresh flowers on the dining room table and coffee table, and the candles are lit. Especially if we are awaiting company."
Everyday Reading "I love movie trailers, to the point where I'm sad when the actual movie starts." (Janssen, me too! I really thought I was the only one.)
A Charmed Life "I love October when the sky is morning-glory blue and the leaves are yellow and red and there's energy in the air." (October has always been my favorite month of the year for no other reason than, in my opinion, it's so charged with colors and energy.)
Crooked Halo "I love Gilmore Girls, strong family bonds, and witty banter."
Black-Eyed Susan "I love it when I don’t have a meeting to go to after work and I can just head straight home." (Jen, oh, I agree. There are entire weeks at a time when I have things to do after work, and the days I can just get in the car and head straight home are magical. Continually proving I'm 26 going on 80.)
Pickles And Dimes "I love grabbing an oversized blanket for a nap on the couch." (It's concerning me a little that I'm drawn to the lines in every list that include the words "sleep," "nap" or "snuggling." Perhaps I need a vacation.)
If you're not linked to above and you've posted a list, please let me know either through a comment or an e-mail. I'd love to add you.
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Now, a little background on where the inspiration to do this came from. Years ago, before I was married, I caught an episode of Oprah with Kristin Armstrong, Lance Armstrong's ex-wife. She was well-spoken and beautiful but, most importantly, she was shedding some light on the myths of marriage. She knew why her own marriage had failed. She said, bravely and powerfully, that she had tried to become "the perfect wife and mother." She said she had forgotten "her list"—the things she loved most in life, including "red wine" and "taking her time." (The article that inspired her appearance on Oprah can be read here. It was the best thing I read that year, easily.)
I vowed to myself—after reading and watching all that—that I would never forget my list, regardless of whose wife I became, whose mother I one day would be.
I am a wife, an aunt, a daughter, an editor, a friend, a Democrat, a dog Mama, a Texan, a Californian, a sorority girl, an Aggie, a sister, a niece, a publicist, a granddaughter, a commuter, an eternal sap. And I wear a thousand other hats—all roles I am deeply and physically proud of. But they are each only one slice of me. Strip them away and here I stand with only my memories, my beliefs, my convictions and the things I love most.