A Challenge - 9

The 9th Challenge - 9 Loves.

I often think it's easier in life to figure what you hate and dislike..then what you Love.
There are some basics...but how do you only pick 9?

1. God. It always amazes me, that me..in my little ranch, in my lil town, in my lil county, in my state, in my country placed in the western hemisphere..He.Knows.Me. Down to the hair on my head, and the pores on my nose. He cares about me. Would have sent His Son, just for me. That amount of Love for me, and unconditional care & love...I'm not worthy of that, but by His Grace I'm saved.

2. And my God, blessed me with my Best Friend. We couldn't stand each other in the beginning...still can't stand his humor. But I fell for him. My husband by far is my whole love. He doesn't complete me, but I'm easily lost without him. When you are that deeply and honestly apart of someone's life that much - they become a part of you.

3. And then God gave me 4 creatures, who do complete me. My Gift, My Joy, My Miracle, My Blessing. - My children are individually each what I call them, but collectively all the names cover what they are to me. I'm not me, without being their Mom.

4. Family. What a great concept, a group of people who will drop anything to be there when you need them - but also are not necessarily apart of your daily life. They are the people you may see for holidays, weekends, or even some yearly. But their love for you doesn't change, you pick back up exactly where you have left off. I claim these as my #4 - only because I've never known differently. I can't imagine NOT having a family around you. The joy of shared memories, shared jokes, even shared heartaches. Never forget that blessing, while some people don't have large or even small families...I have both.

5. Friends. Now, I list them second after family - only because of formality. I've often thought how odd it is, that at weddings and funerals - families play an important part..because, by nature they are family...but it's your friends you are closer too. Your friends don't have the assigned seats at the wedding...they are in the back tables, hootin and hollerin. Or your funeral...do they get to be in the fancy couches up front...nope. I have been to a few family funerals, and I have sat in the "special" seating for family...I often think about the people behind me. Those people were with my grandparent (or other family member) weekly, working on puzzles, eating meals, traveling, laughing etc. Friends, become much more closer to our hearts - then our extended and even sometimes closer family members. But formality has us keep family titled as more important.
When I die, I want in my front row - after my immediate family - my girlfriends. The ones I have spent countless hours laughing with, the ones I have played sardines with, the ones who I have walked around Target with, the ones who I have cried with. They are the family of my heart. These women know me far more then my extended family.

6. Dance. May seem like an odd thing to add to this list, especially so high on the list. And I have read others list off things they could live without in their lives...take my eyes or my ears..but by golly leave my legs alone. For I can see the stage without being on it, and I can hear the music even tho it's not playing.

7. Music. Up with dance, is my love for a great soundtrack. I keep a running list on my spotify account - the soundtrack of my life. Do you have music that pulls you to a point in your past, kind of like a smell - takes you right there. There are some very distinct songs, that pulls the dancer in my back in time. I love that - I love that I can feel the music, how sad for those you can't.

8. My Hair. Ok I don't say that with complete and udder pride and flaunting'ness...(is that a word? coarse not!) But, I have always loved my hair. Long, short, it doesn't matter - I have the uncanny ability to "clean up well", and my hair helps with that immensely. I can shower and go, yep never add product, or blow dry - dang I barely have to brush it. While I may have friends who go limp, or frizzy -- my perfectly straight dry ends/oil crown hair - fits my style just fine.

9. Well - can't believe I'm saying this - I love the state I live in.
I have endless amounts of snow in the winter, piled high to tunnel through and wet enough to get through every imaginable layer you can put on....and of coarse comes with what feels like endless cold. But the spring brings a smell like no other, new growth, new birth, rain, mud, freshness. And summer has the heat and humidity - but not the crazy heat from down south... And I end finally with the beauty of autumn. Artists and Poets have tried to master the beauty of this time of year. Flocks of people come to see the colors turn. Nothing is quite like it.

There ya go - 9 loves of mine.