The 52 Lists Project #13

List the things that always cheer you up:

• Sunshine, bright sky!
• Warmth. Cozy blankets, wooly sweaters, the warmth of a fire, the heat of the sun. I am rarely uncomfortably warm. I’m lucky that way, as some people really suffer in the heat. As a child, I used to sit on the deep  sill of the picture window in the kitchen, and bask in the sun just like a cat.
• A nap, sometimes. Just a little refresher, while ignoring whatever is bothering me.
• The moon and stars. When my grandson, Michael, was tiny, we’d go outside in the evenings to watch the night sky. When I spent five days on a sailboat, nights were my favorite time. I loved the quiet under that big bowl of starry sky. I felt like I finally understood where the old stories – based on constellations – originated.
• Summer nights. Combining the moon and stars, warmth, and maybe a nice breeze, summer nights can almost always transport me to a more magical time and place.
• Conversations with toddlers. Their minds work mysteriously; they don’t filter their words. I’m amazed at the logic that’s often revealed. Once, while pushing my little daughter through a store in her stroller, we came upon a woman in a wheelchair. We each navigated our wheeled vehicles to be able to pass each other in the aisle. Then, my daughters looked at me with raised eyebrows and slight surprise. “A baby mama!” was her novel conclusion.
• A baby’s laugh. Always.
• My little dog, who seems to sense when I’m having a bad day and need cheering up.
• Chocolate, usually.
• Flowers in bloom.
• Changing seasons. From the first warm day in spring to the first snowfall, the anticipation is cheering to me.
• A finished project.
• Now and again, a holiday. Happy Easter!