What I Love

I'm taking a break. I have disengaged from a popular social networking site...I'm taking a sabbatical from text messaging. I am taking some time to regroup, take the pressure off...and BREATHE.

Do you ever catch yourself in a moment...and realise, "I honestly don't remember the last deep, cleansing breath I have taken". I think that's a big deal, in the grand scheme of things. Breath is life..shallow breath, shallow life? Perhaps. Or, in my case right now, too much going on, and seemingly not one second remaining for an extended inhale.

But let me tell you, when you turn off distractions, a funny thing happens. You mentally purge chaos, and find beauty in the small things again...you smile quietly to yourself when something catches your funnybone...or your heart..and all of a sudden..you feel like....

I'm back.

Today I love so many things. One thing that always grabs me, and shakes me, is how great Canada is. I'm not biased..this is the best place on the planet. Here are two reasons:

Last night I went to Dairy Queen with a friend of mine...we sat in the car and laughed, and shared our hearts. As we sat there, a black van pulled up beside us, and a mennonite family got out. A father, a mother, and 3 daughters. They were in simple, homemade, ankle length floral dresses...the girls and their mother had on Birkenstocks. The father looked like a minister...but then, I kind of think that all mennonite men look like ministers... like Reverend Alden from Little House on the Prairie. The ladies had white bonnets on. No matter their religion, or ancestry, last night, they were like the rest of us..and they wanted a Blizzard. There was zero risk for ridicule. I LOVED this moment. My friend and I sat and watched them from the car...it was a brilliant thing to be aware of. They weren't being judged, or looked down upon..they were just a normal family wanting ice cream on a hot summers night.

I am always caught with a grin on my face, when I see children of different religions, different sizes and different backgrounds playing together. Today I saw a very chubby, red headed boy with a milky way of freckles across his face, bouncing a basketball down the street with his friend. His friend was crazy tall, rail thin, and had luminous black skin. They were laughing and goofing around like only young boys do...and I was caught with a wildly, profoundly proud feeling in my heart...Canada is a RIDICULOUSLY awesome corner of this world.

I love that for some strange reason, babies and animals are drawn to me, and are comfortable with me. I don't know what that means. I don't know if it means I have a wild heart, and a calm soul? I just don't know. But I love that those most vulnerable seem to find security with me. My sister once called me the Baby Whisperer...funny that...as I don't have children.

I have learned intriguing things on my short writing journey. I am learning to keep my eyes open, and not just focused on what is right in front of me...but right out to my peripheral...to the blind spot. I am learning to listen closely...and to always have a story brewing in the back of my mind. Sometimes they simmer and bubble slowly, and sometimes, they wake me in the night, and I am powerless to them until I put them down, right here at the Passion Spill. Who knew? Writing holds one of the top positions on my, "What I Love" list.

Question:

What do you love?