I am lucky enough to live two blocks from the Mississippi River here in Minneapolis. I’m not quite sure why, but I have a love affair with this river. I feel some kind of energetic connection to this artery that flows from the top to bottom of our country. I feel pulled to look at it, see how blue or gray, smooth or choppy the waters are, especially when I drive over the Marshall-Lake Street Bridge and can see a long view of it on both sides. It somehow gives something back to me too. It sparks my creativity; I’ve written a few poems about it too, like this one here.
And then there’s the Moon, which I utterly adore. (Maybe you could guess that from this website’s title.) I don’t know when the Moon started being important to me, but as I’ve aged, it has increasingly been able to make me swoon, sing out sometimes (or howl when I’m feeling particularly wild). I search for it in the inky sky most nights and admire its many gentle faces. Of course, I write poems about the Moon too– you can read one of my favorites, Mama Moon, here.
All this has lately got me thinking about Loving Things. Of course I love people most of all. The emotion and connection I feel for so many people is vibrant and deep and whole. But in our culture we do say we LOVE things. Sometimes it’s just the way we show some excitement for something: “I love that outfit! I love that TV show!” This is definitely more superficial. The word Love can be used so many ways. (And yet, we still only have like three words for snow, despite it taking up half the year in Minnesota.)
What I’m ruminating about today are the Things we truly feel some deeper connection to, Some Things energize us, pull at us. Things we move towards, that we seek out in our lives. There’s a relationship there of some kind. It’s certainly not the same as we have with the people we Love. But it’s something more than the way we feel about the multitudes of things that are part of our everyday lives. Some Things have an alive quality for us, and the Things we Love are so different for everyone. How curious is that?
What Things do you Love? What Things light you up or give you some energy or satisfaction? Do you have any ideas about why you Love these Things?
For me, in addition to the Mississippi and Moon. I also Love Books, with their pale pages full of writing that will sink me into the mind and world of the author.
I Love new Pens, of almost any kind. Special or fancy pens are nice, but if a free pen is being offered, I get a little thrill.
I Love Trees, with their strong trunks and so many kinds of leaves. In the Spring, I Love Lilacs and will stick my nose right into their sweet blossoms as I walk around.
Certain kinds of Music just touch me in a visceral way, making me cry or dance. Maybe it’s the chords or the lyrics or some magic in the songs.
And I love Kid-lit and English literature and sunrises and sunsets and being in water and picnics and …. well, I could go on.
I don’t have any answers about why we Love certain Things. Some people would just call them interests or hobbies, but it feels different than that to me. I do like it though, how I Love Things. It adds something to my life. I have had a history of depression and numbing out, where I wasn’t connecting to my life or people or things very much. It is good to feel alive and awake now, to see the wonder all around. So many people and Things to Love!
I would Love it if you would share in the comments what Things you Love, or any thoughts about this odd topic. Thanks for reading!
[All photos by Bob Alberti.]
I love you!
Love you too, Hon!
Well, how can one top Bob’s comment?!?!?
Seriously, though, I love so many of the things you mentioned, with the exception of being in water unless it’s my nightly bath. I love LOOKING at water, though, and drinking it with lots of ice. Blank notebooks of all kinds, fancy or not. Flannel sheets. Beautiful glassware and dishes. Bald eagles and blue herons – both of which are very common around here, yet never cease to give me a thrill – and right now, the silvery sight of trumpeter swans flying – we get them around here in the winter. And deer – spotting a deer when we’re at the cabin or on the road somewhere is also so special. I could go on and on…!
Thanks for sharing, Jeanine! I love your list, and am adding all of them to mine now, heh heh heh! We actually live around the corner from a home that has a bald eagle’s nest in it every year, so it is always fun to peer up and see what’s going on. I wish we had the trumpeter swans– that would be cool!
Lake Superior is awesome and has healing powers. I love it.
Ahhhh… yes, it sure does, Andrea. I love coming over the hill going into Duluth and getting that first glimpse of the Lake and shoreline. And just hanging out near the expansiveness of it.