I remember now why I did it…

As a coffee shop barista, you are one of the first in town to turn the lights on at home in the morning.  After all, someone has got to get up earlier than the early birds who stop for their morning cup of Joe en route to work.  Unfortunately for me, I arrived at the cafe one morning believing I was scheduled to open for the day.  But really, I wasn’t… because there was Ria, half asleep like I was, already priming the espresso machine.

Sighing deeply at myself, I pulled a double shot for my favorite latte and made myself cozy on the break room couch.  The truth is, I would rather have been sleeping.  But with two shots of espresso already seeping into my veins and the awareness that I’d be on my feet in a little more than an hour anyway, I sat in the dim morning light and sipped away.

That dawn turned out to be unusually glorious.  I learned that I enjoy very early mornings – so long as I’m awake enough to bask in the peace, quiet, and newness.  It’s like you can breathe all the freshness right down into your heart.  And that seems especially true when I’ve got a coffee in hand.  (I have also discovered that that first sip of my morning coffee isn’t just a flavor… it’s downright emotional.)

And that’s when I got inspired.

I began thinking of random little tiny things (as well as some big things…) that honestly make me happy.  My favorite things.  I began writing them down in the notes app on my phone, in no particular order of importance.  What was amazing was how they kept racing through my mind, sometimes faster than I could type!  I bet I had twenty on the list before I showed any sign of slowing down, and that’s when I challenged myself to think of fifty.  Fifty of my favorite things.

1. Dark, quiet, peaceful mornings
2. Warm caramel-toffeenut lattes
3. The book of Psalms
4. Muffins & pastries
5. Family dinners
6. Dancing
7. Long drives at dusk
8. Stars
9. Long hugs
10. Weddings
11. Chocolate
12. Bistro lights
13. Jazz
14. The month of June
15. Fireflies
16. Champagne
17. City lights
18. Country skies
19. Birthdays
20. Journaling…

You can get to know somebody really well by peeking at their list of fifty favorites.  You can even start to understand yourself better after creating your own!  I’ve always thought that the truest test for how well you know somebody has less to do with the facts about them, and more to do with how well you are able to accurately predict their response to something new.

In the end, it was not hard to make it to fifty.  In fact, it was pretty difficult to keep it under fifty, and that makes me feel incredibly grateful.  Being easily amused and taking delight in the small things sure helps make life more colorful, rich, and satisfying.

More than anything, I found it super fun to write down all the best things I’ve encountered in life and keep them in the same place.  It’s like a little collection of special things – even intangible things – I can take on the go.

I am actually still surprised at how something this simple could have been so thrilling.  And it’s always growing as I experience more of life… being married to Austin, I have to say, would now be high on the list.  My “Fifty Favorite Things” note is now more than two years old and I still open it from time to time to glance at all the whimsical, wonderful things I jotted down.

Who knows, maybe I’ll always keep adding… perhaps until 1,000!

If you created a list of YOUR fifty favorite things, what would it include?  Please let me know some of your top 3-5 in the comments below!