“Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.” — Vincent Van Gogh

Don’t you love this? I do, because I too am a lover of many things. Every so often we ought to take a few moments to consider those things that we love. They are part of our lives, and we can’t help loving them. They are part of who we are and why we are here, doing the things we do.

Those things change over time, too–when I was a baby, I loved my stuffed bear, Percy. (For the record, I still have him, and I still love him.)

When I was growing up, I loved my parents, grandparents, friends, my cat, my bicycle, seashells, marbles, minerals, jewelry, reading and writing, climbing trees, singing and acting, going to summer camp, crafts—the list went on and on.

As I became older, went to college, then moved out of my parents’ home to a place of my own, I loved other things. I loved that I had my own little home and could set it up any way I wanted. I loved it that I could make my own meals, then sit at my own table (a wooden one whose legs I painted a buttery yellow–I called it Big Bird) and read a book while dining. I loved it that I could rescue and adopt a sweet gray cat of my own. I named her Billie, and we lived very happily together.

Now that I am at this stage of my life, I love still more things. I still love reading and writing, jewelry design, walking, seashells, minerals, etc. But now I also love playing the ukulele (adequately), dancing hula, doing Zen Tangles and more. I love my Crankee Yankee and our four cats; Nala, Pookie, Plumpy-Nut and Tinker, and I love all the people in my life.

I love the sunrise and sunset, the moon and stars, the ocean, and every season of the year. I love how it makes me feel to walk down to the pond and see all the life there; herons, geese, ducks, seagulls, cormorants, swans, an occasional bald eagle, turtles, minnows, and the one muskrat I call Von Muskratty. I love that each season of the pond has its own unique beauty and magic.

I love all the possibilities of life, and pray that I don’t miss any of them. There is so much to love in this life, and I hope I get to love it all. I want to make this year full of more love and less resentment, hurt, fear and worry.

Anybody with me?