Thursday Thirteen: Great Things

1. Air. I am most reminded of it when I am having an asthma fit. The lack of it in my lungs makes me realize what a precious commodity it is.

2. Water. Some people claim not to like water. I love it. I like the taste of it and the feel of it on my tongue, particularly on a hot day. I greatly appreciate my showers, too, even if I am still timing them because I worry about the well.

3. Earth. Can anything replace the feel and smell of moist soil? Is there anything more solid and stable than the dirt beneath our feet? Who could ask for any firmer foundation?

4. Love. I can't see it but I feel it all the time, everyday, as constant as the beating of my heart. I know it's there but I don't know how I know. It is and it is wonderful.

5. Sustenance. I shouldn't list food but... one of the great joys of life is eating. A good dinner can be a great highlight of the day if not the week. Who can resist good yeast rolls or a fine drink or the best dark chocolate?

6. Laughter. Every time I hear someone laugh, I smile. Even if I am crying, if I can manage a smile I know it will be okay. Remember how during the funeral in Steel Magnolias, the women eventually burst out laughing in spite of their pain? It's the beginning of the healing when you laugh after a wound.

7. Touch. This is something none of us get enough of. A good massage - that'll cure your muscle aches and many other things. A great massage will leave tears in your eyes. A hug from a spouse or friend can take years of worry away from your mind.

8. Colors. The vividness of the sky in August. The palate of color in Autumn. Grass greening almost instantly after a good rain. A rainbow passing overhead. How dull would it be if we didn't have colors? How boring and unromantic and constant if the world was just all in one shade?

9. Books. Many people won't count this as one of life's great pleasures, but for me a day without reading ... seldom happens. I have to be very sick indeed not to at least read the news paper. Words are as important to me as water. They quench the thirst of my mind.

10. Friends. Friends kind of go up there with love but this special kind of love is different enough to deserve its own slot. What would we do without friends, without those joyous connections that say "see, there's another soul in the world and you two get along." What else comforts like a phone call from a friend on a bad day?

11. Music. The sound of a voice raised in song is blissful and heart-lifting. Even a sad song, bringing tears, offers a wondrous release. It's like a balm for the soul.

12. Crying. Maybe it's not the nicest thing in the world to experience, but who hasn't cried and then felt at least a tiny bit better for it? It's cleansing and releasing and everyone needs that sometimes.

13. Communication. The only way to connect with someone else, to step out of our aloneness, is through talking, writing, touching... any of the many ways we communicate and move one another. Connections are great gifts. I thank my blog readers for allowing me to connect to each of you.



Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.