"When the dog bites, when the bee stings..."
Do you remember the favourite things Julie Andrews sang about in “The Sound of Music”? The "girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes", the "raindrops on roses" and so on that she remembers when things go south? Thinking about these things helps her not to feel so bad.
Maybe we should make a list of our own favourite things and keep them close for those days “when the bee stings, the dog bites" or when we’re "feeling sad”.
On the top of my list would be my home. The place where you are welcome and feel safe. “'n Holte vir die voet” en “vier mure teen die suide-wind”. A place where you can live happily on your own or share with loved ones; where you keep your treasures and things that have been with you on your life’s journey. We cannot take anything with us when we leave this plane, but while we are still here, it can give us comfort.
Books are on my list, for sure. They are teachers, traveling companions, relaxers, stimulators, therapists, friends and joy bringers. Books have the power to change lives and help us to visit far-away places without leaving the house. It can express into words what we feel and inspire us to be better people. Books bestow insights on us that we may not obtain otherwise.
Journals or notebooks and pens are more pleasures of mine. It is difficult for me to walk pass a notebook, big or small, with a beautiful cover. Different coloured pens to write in them is a must, but a boring black pen will do as well. Writing in them is another favourite thing for me to do. I love words, reading as well as writing them.
This brings me to a recent favourite: my laptop. I have a love-hate relationship with this one because my IT-skills are scant. Be that as it may, I love how you can change and delete without leaving a mess like you would on on a paper-page. The ease of finding whatever you are searching for: a concept, a word, a picture. I am in awe of and at the same time intimidated by technology.
Flowers, one of life’s exquisite pleasures, is a favourite of almost everybody. Roses and lilies are my preference, but all flowers are gorgeous and can brighten the bleakest of days. In the past, flowers were used to carry messages with very specific meanings. Some meanings are the same today, but not many people still make use of each flower’s assigned message. Forget-me-nots are self-explanatory, but did you know that Gladiolus is a symbol of strength, moral integrity and infatuation? Red roses are still favoured to express love and yellow roses, friendship.
Having a pedicure is an indulgence and a guilty pleasure for me. How heavenly it is to sit back, in a massage chair, experiencing total bliss while someone massage your work horses. To me it is a service that deserves the biggest tip you can afford.
How do I love bread? Let me count the ways. Suffice to say that bread and butter would be my preferred last meal. Food prepared for me, by anyone but me, is a firm favourite. No critique of food someone went to the trouble of preparing for me, ever! I can always taste the love that was stirred in there. Enjoying a meal with family and friends is priceless.
Clothes. Putting on the right dress can transform Cinderella into a princess; in the theatre it assists an actor to transform into any character. The clothes we wear have the power to influence our mood; it tells tales about us and if we care to reflect who we really are, it is wise to give a little thought to what we wear every day. For me, clothes can be a tool to uplift or reflect a mood, be worn as armour, or to transform a person.
There are other favourite things in my life, but these ones discussed above, will have to do for now. I would love to hear what a few of your favourite things are.
Till we chat again, love and light.
Shirley Rose