These are a few of my favorite things....

My youngest daughter's hair in the morning, a bed-headish work of messy art.  Just the right amount of wasabi in your soy sauce to accompany your spicy tuna rolls.  The ridiculous way my mom can't quite figure out how to answer the phone, "hello, hello, HELLO" or silence.  The way my son over-exaggerates my husband's African accent for effect when he tells stories.  "When I was a boy growing up in Africa,....".  Friends that show up at your doorstep when something goes wrong.  Sometimes bearing fudge, sometimes bearing orchids, sometimes bearing lip gloss, and sometimes they bear hugs without saying a word. Being female with limitless depths of strength, resilience, and emotion. Hips.  Feminine energy.  Masculine energy. Good mojo.  Karma.

The collective vibration of a crowd; that palpable, electric energy that hovers just above.  CARROT CAKE, enough said.  Forearms, also enough said.  When the bass drops.  Waking up with your friends on a girls' trip and talking about the night before.  Finally living in the era of the big booty. Concealer and hair product.  Watching your daughters dance. Sunsets....and rainbows....and butterflies.  Super Soul Sunday. My husband's rocking body.  Can I get an Amen?

My dad's silver hair and great big ears.  Inappropriate rap music.  Ketel One.  That moment when the night takes a turn and you realize you are all calling a cab and nobody's leaving early.  Laughter.  Non-judgmental people.  Compassion.  Friends you can text with no notice that will pick your kids up and trust you to do the same. Being a Kansas girl smack in the middle of this big, wide world. Global thinking...."it's a small world after all"..."one love". Banter and witty conversation.  People that make you feel and think on a higher level.  People that are your break from thinking.  People that don't take themselves too seriously.

Unconditional love.  Long lasting love.  The arts, the artists.  Family.  Drag bingo.  Super grumpy old people.  Kids that wear crazy mismatched stuff or red galoshes for a whole year.  People that just don't give a damn about what other people think.  Teenagers with wild ideas and wide-eyed dreams.  Ridiculous hand- written cards.  Lil Wayne and Elizabeth Gilbert.  Watching my babies sleep, even at 14, 11, and 7. Those moments when all of the sudden you are so filled with gratitude to be along for this ride...for no good reason other than the enormity of that just hits you sometimes.  Words...and wonder....and bounding awareness. Just a few of my favorite things.