Favorite Things

Favorite Things--

When I was a young girl, my favorite things were my dolls.  I loved those dolls.  We were the best of friends.  They allowed my imagination to run wild and take me to  new and exciting places.  My best doll friend was my companion.  Someetimes we stayed home.  I would pretend she was a real baby and rock her to sleep.  Feed her with that tiny bottle that came with dolls.  Dress her, undress her and dress her again and again.

A few years after the doll stage ended, I fell in love with reading.  The public library in our town had biographies of all the wives of all the presidents.  Oh my.  What fun to read about their growing up years and their years being the First Lady of our Land.  In addition to reading everyone of those, it was also possible to purchase a doll dressed like each of them.  I wish I had my collection.  It would be such fun to revisit those memories.  They came in a box that looked like a book.  When the cover was opened, there she was.  That was the beginning of my love for reading.

Piano lessons became part of my life at an early age.   My piano teacher would give incentives for practicing and playing well.  I remember small busts of many of the famous composers.  Those are long gone.  Would love to have those today.  My collection grew over the years as I actually did practice and loved playing the piano.

Art pieces, handmade cards, Christmas ornaments made by our son when he was a child are all favorite things.  I can still see his sweet smile when he handed over the treasures he made for me.  There was such pride in his little face.  He knew that I would think they were the best gifts in the entire world.  Priceless memories.

Another favorite thing is the hummingbird nest given to me by a student.  Aren't hummingbirds the sweetest little things?  We have five feeders hanging off our back deck.  The most we have seen at one time on the feeders is four.  They are not as prevalent in this area as they are a little further south.  We have one we call the bully.  He-we think it is a he-will sit on a branch above the feeders waiting for another hummer to stop in for food.  He is quite patient.  When he sees a visitor to the outdoor restaurant, he swoops down with great speed and chases the customer away.

Back to the favorite thing--many years ago a student was in Washington state visiting her mom.  When she returned, she had a hummingbird nest in a box for me.  She said they were everywhere at her mom's home, and that they often found nests.  That must have been 25 years ago.  I still have that tiny treasure laying in tissue paper in a box.  It is such a favorite thing.  What a wonder to find a nest with eggs.

On a trip to England we stopped at a church bazaar in Stratford upon Avon.  We enjoyed driving through small English towns, stopping at pubs and visiting with the locals.  We did the usual sightseeing, but more fun for us was seeing the places as the locals saw them.  We would ask for the best place to spend the night.  It was always a B&B.  Those experiences provided us with rich memories of people and places.  Back to the bazaar.  In the back courtyard of the church was a small fenced off area.  Maybe it was for cars during services?  Anyway, on this particular day the ladies of the church were having an outdoor sale.  I suppose the sale was to fund church programs.  They served tea and scones which we had.  And then we browsed the sale items.  When we travel, I usually bring an art piece home.  This time was no different.  An older woman was standing proudly beside her table of goods.  She had just taken up painting.

As we visited, it was apparent that she was a little unsure if anyone would want one of her art pieces.  I recognized this was a moment to offer encouragement to her and to bring home a favorite thing.  Looking through her very small number of paintings, I selected one of three brown bunnies hiding in tall grass.  It is a watercolor.  The paper is an off white.  The bunnies are browns and blacks, and the tall weeds are browns.  There is one plant with sky blue flowers.  That is the only color other than black and brown.  She signed it J.J.  I think her name is Jill Johnson.  I asked her to sign the back of the painting for me.  She framed the piece with no mats.  Just glass.  She painted the top, sides and bottom of the frame with orange paint.  There are a few places where the orange color appears on the front of the frame.  It adds to the charm.  She was doing a new thing.  She was trying.  I had the honor of buying the first piece she ever sold.  That sweet, little painting hangs over my desk.  I smile everytime I sit down to take care of business.

The crystal pitcher that holds my pens, pencils and scissors was a wedding gift from the woman who made our wedding cake.  Everytime I see it, I think of her.  The list could go on for pages and pages.  The interesting point it this.  These items I have listed are not treasures the world would deem important or priceless.  They have little monetary value.  Some look a bit worn.  But, to me they hold memories of people and places that I love.  It isn't about money, is it?  Yet, it is so easy to get caught up in the things money can buy.

Hanging on the wall in my family room is a handpainted treasure.  Each of my grandchildren painted a small picture.  They were framed with the top one being painted by the oldest grandson.  The second one by our granddaughter and the third in the series by our youngest. This was a Christmas gift.  One pictures a house with a tree and flowers. This one was created by our oldest grandson.  Another one has a house, but this one has a little girl with blonde hair holding the hand of a woman with brown hair.  That was painted by my granddaughter.  The third one in the set is a mass of lines crossing over one another.  When I asked our grandson what it was, he replied that it was a pile of snakes.  I ask you--what is better than that?  A very favorite thing.

How many of us still live in the same place we did when we left home?  How many of us drive the same automobile?  How many of us have the same furniture we had thirty years ago?  I imagine we all have a few pieces from our parents or grandparents, but those pieces do not make up our whole space.  How many of us wear the same clothes or jewelry we wore twenty years ago or even ten years ago?

You see, it is really true.  The things we treasure most are the things that come to us with love.  The items that mean the most are the ones that someone created.  Or they were items purchased for us for a special time in our lives by someone we treasure.  Why do we get caught up in the desire to have more and more?  Is it really true that the one who dies with the most stuff wins?  Of course it isn't.  Let me be clear.  There is nothing wrong with having.  I have much more than is necessary for a good life.  What I have noticed is that when I want to be comforted, I go to those items that hold memories.  I don't go to the new watch laying on the desk.

I think it is good to stop once in awhile and think about what and who we really treasure.  As we make that wonderful list,  we see the fabric of our existence.  We see people and things that make our hearts smile.  We know that we are in a good place when these are our favorite things.