I love wrapping my hands around a warm mug of tea in the winter. I love how my son rests his head on my shoulder and strokes my hair. I love opening the oven to feel a blast of heat on my face. I love a cozy oversized sweater. I love wandering around art museums. I love coffee shop dates. I love listening to my daughter read books to herself. I love bold earrings that sway with every turn of your head. I love wearing lipstick.
I love artful charcuterie boards. I love the smell of the splash pad in summer. I love when my husband plays guitar, and my kids dance to the music.
I love having a secret stash of pick me up chocolate. I love a big cup of cocoa heaped with whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon. I love when my daughter cups her face in her hands at the dinner table, leans in close and asks, “How was your day Mom?” as if she didn’t spend every second of it with me. I love how my husband’s morning cheerfulness balances my lack thereof.
I love smocked dresses and silk scarves. I love Mango popsicles and clean countertops. I love friends who listens. I love checking the mail. I love receiving handwritten letters even more.
I love caramel apple pie, but really, I love all pie. I love collecting thoughtful quotes in my journal, like breadcrumbs of wisdom to look for when I’m feeling lost.
I love when my husband hugs me from behind and kisses me while I’m cooking or scrubbing dishes. I love seeing my daughter dance around the kitchen in her bright purple tutu. I love sitting around a fire with family, watching the wild flames leap and crackle.
I love presents wrapped in silky soft ribbons. I love kombucha, especially on a summer picnic. I love when both my children are sleeping.
I love when the baby has a dirty diaper and my husband says, “I’ll change it honey.”
I love a good thrift find, but also a hefty goodwill drop-off. I love the smell of lilacs in spring and the crunch of acorn caps under my boots in the fall.
I love old movies and homemade popcorn. I love hearing my daughter sing her version of the lyrics. I love when she lets me put her hair in spunky ponytails. I love listening to my son talk to me in babbles. I love his big cheesy, toothy smile. I love kissing his cheeks, over and over.
I love quiet afternoon prayer, when a friend calls out of the blue and it’s perfect timing. I love honey chamomile tea in the evenings. I love the movie Encanto.
I love deep pink bouquets of roses and the smell of leather-bound journals. I love the poetry of Richard Wilbur and writing notes in the margins of books.
I love learning that my weakness is no match for the grandeur of His Mercy.
I love pine scented candles, and anything written by L.M. Montgomery. I love the story of Miss Rumphius and any illustration by Tasha Tudor. I love the feeling of home found in a long-loved book. I love friendly librarians.
I love dim lit Churches, quiet in prayerful rest. I love hearing (and automatically crying tears of gratitude) Silent Night on Christmas Day and the Alleluia on Easter. I love seeing my daughter fold her hands and bow her head in imitative prayer. I love when she says, “Nice job, Mom!” after I tape together a ripped page in a book or help her scrape her playdough from its tiny container.
I love my husband’s homemade Ramen and honestly his homemade anything. I love when he’s finished work and without asking, takes the baby right from my hip.
I love Barbara Cooney and all of her illustrations. I love sparkler sendoffs at weddings. I love finding the perfect gift. I love homemade baked goods and Spotify playlists that play exactly what I want to hear.
I love talking about old memories with my husband. I love a friendly hello from a passing stranger at the park. I love spotting cardinals and blue jays and the awe my children have for the garbage truck.
I love when I’m cleaning up a toy and none of the pieces are missing.
I love Pina Coladas by the pool, using sunglasses to keep my hair back in the summer. I love people watching in airports and when an outfit magically comes together two minutes before you need to leave for church on Sunday.
I love watching high school basketball and dinner tables bursting with family. I love game nights and I love Catch Phrase. I love live theatre and Shakespeare. I love memorizing poetry and seeing my daughter scribble away in a notebook with her determined little brow.
I love watching women become mothers and laughing at myself as I steadily continue to learn how much I don’t know. I love friends who laugh alongside me and remind me I’m not alone.
I love the way my son falls into my arms after walking across the kitchen. I love seeing my kids laugh together. I love that my daughter only wants to wear dresses.
I love clicking “publish” on a blog post. I love diving into a calm pool in the summer. I love the smell of cigars on a summer night and the sound of a summer thunderstorm.
I love that this post could be much much longer. I love the gratitude it has sparked. I love that choosing to be creative never fails to inspire joy.
This post was inspired by Ashlee Gadd’s book, Create Anyway: The Joy of Pursuing Creativity in the Margins of Motherhood. Enjoyed this post? Now it’s time to create your own love list!
