A few of my favorite things.

Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens... bright copper kettles and yadda yadda yadda...  Indeed, all very lovely.  But I can't believe they hold a candle to a few of my favorite things that have, in the last week, made me laugh out loud, and nearly tingle with excitement in their simple and basic elements of truth.

Favorite Thing #1:  Early last Thursday afternoon, my keenly insightful and ever-aware four-year old hollers from upstairs with utter glee and excitement, "Mommy!  Mommy!  Come up here!!  There's something magical happening in the guest room...!!"   Ne'ermind that she and my undeniably angelic, awe-inspiring and equally as captivating two-year old are not supposed to be in there without adult supervision (heh. For the purposes of this endearing story, I will not dwell on that part.)  Sho' nuff, as I walk into the guest room, my Angelic Treasures are standing by the window, with uncorrupted and bona fide wonder in their eyes, each enthusiastically pointing to the microscopic blades-of-grass looking shoots coming up from a planter of dirt and fertilizer they'd deposited seeds into with their Daddy not but a week earlier.    The simplicity. The truth.  The utterly grounded reality that, Yes, Darlings, you're right!  It is magical!   It reminds me then and there, that that our whole lives are nothing but magical. That the magic is in the littlest moments, and in the time taken to appreciate them.

Favorite Thing #2:  Late last night, in watching some post-game sports show, I remark candidly to my extraordinary husband how, "is it just me, or are professional football players getting much better looking?," and how, "Sheesh! I didn't used to think they were so hot!"   In his ordinarily extraordinary way, he smirks and says, "Honey, they're just younger than you now."   Haa Haaah HAH!!  Oh yeah.  Right!  And I realize how utterly hilarious, yet how utterly wonderful, that is.  I am getting older... I get to get older... and wiser, and stronger... and more resilient... and better and better every day. I realize how I wouldn't repeat my past for anything. That the people in my world now, my husband as he is today, my undeniably priceless daughters and the fact that I still get to soak in nearly every minute of my day with them at this age, the inspiring role models I'm meeting and the passion growing inside of me as a result, the light-air-love-joy-everything-that-is-dance that has seemed to magically and effortlessly appear into my existence again, the new friends in my life that remind me of who I am eternally becoming, the old friends in my life that remind me of the parts I'm continuing to embrace, the lessons I'm learning and the lessons I'm appreciating that I don't have to learn again, the growing and stretching, the basics, the complicated, the in-between. It's all enormously awesome, and I wouldn't give up a single thing to be young again like those hot football guys. 

Favorite Things #3 and Beyond: My girls asking for, then singing (um, rapping) along with, and dancing to, hip hop music.  And though I have to wonder if the lyrics aren't just a leetle bit inappropriate at times (...no, I am not clueless to this concept...), it truly is just the most hilarious and adorable thing.  It makes me laugh.  The whole body hugs & innocent full-mouthed kisses from the two of them that actually physically make my heart grow bigger, because of the basic notion that they just can't get, or give, enough of the lovin'.  I love that my girls love to "play mommy," because they admire me and admire what I choose to do... and because they know what it is that I do.  How anything can be a "baby," even a stray sock found on the floor, and how as they pretend to tuck said sock lovingly into bed, under the covers, and kiss it good night, there seems no moment was ever more important to them than that very one right there.  They are amazing, pure-hearted, gentle-handed, spirited, hilarious, endlessly entertaining beings with the most amazing and contagious laughs, and are priceless daily reminders of what is important to me in this life.  It catches me off guard every single day how lucky I am to be a part of their world that centers around the simplicity of every moment, and the natural inclination to appreciate where we are at every turn.

Rodgers and Hammerstein, you had the right idea in writing your version.  I just love mine a helluvalot better.