CHASING DOWN THE MUSE: Favorite things to savor

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…these are a few of my favorite things — Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II, “My Favorite Things,” from “The Sound of Music.”

As we circled for our landing at Long Beach Airport, I looked down at the vast spread of twinkling lights on the ground. I had thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful trip to New York. My feelings were mixed on returning. I had a great deal of work ahead of me AND I would miss family left behind in Brooklyn.

Suddenly, as we began our slow descent, I heard the lyrics to “My Favorite Things” in my mind. It started me thinking about some of my own favorite things. There are so many and, as I write this, I wonder just where to begin…. At the beginning, of course, but there are so many beginnings as well.

So here are a few — just a few — of my favorite things. Perhaps the will titillate your thought process as well:

The sweet milky, soft breath of a sleeping baby…

A caressing cool breeze on a warm summer day…

Slanted light through the trees whether early or late…

The first bird that chirps in the morning…

The whir of the wings of a covey of quail on my approach…

Bats swooping and gliding in deep blue twilight…

The hawk’s passing black shadow as it touches my shoulder and moves on its way…

Soft kitten fur…

The yeasty aroma of freshly baked bread and the mouth-watering thought of slowly savoring it with warm, melting butter that drips down my wrist…

Fingers sticky with paint, paste, and gel…and peeling it off slowly as it dries…

The briny smell of the sea at first morning’s light…

Warm sand through my fingers…

The glimmer of sunshine on crystal…the myriad colors and shades that sparkle in this stunning light…

The sensation and tart-sweet taste of the pop of a just-picked cherry tomato as I bite down on it…

Moonlight on water…

A child’s exuberant laughter—so free and expressive and clear as it rings out…

The colors of sunrise and sunset as they range soft to brilliant then fade…

Two owls in the high eucalyptus, communing in soft answering hoots…

The feeling of strength in my legs on first standing…

The “youngsters” — Emily, Reem, Michele come to mind — and their pure lust for life…

Time with friends, catching up, laughing, caring…

The strong swell of confidence on some achievement, even knowing it soon will dash itself on the rocks of experience…

Sway of long cattails while gliding in a kayak through dragonfly-filled waters on a late fall afternoon… (and so many gliding on water moments come to mind on the heels of this one — the sudden lift of hundreds of birds in the waters of Back Bay; gliding in silent communion with friends, not needing to speak to so fully share the experience…)

Joy-filled creative time — playing and experimenting and discovering anew…

The surge of strong feeling in my heart listening to an aria sung well… or the lilting, light-heartedness of a familiar tune…

The exhilaration of reaching the top of Mt. Whitney — tired and out of breath, but THERE after so many weeks of preparing…

The soft skin and form-fittingness of a snuggling baby in my arms…

The smell, touch, taste, sound, sight of a loved one…

A long candlelit soak in a warm tub…

Snuggling late in bed on a cold morning, in and out of mysterious dreams…

…and raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings…snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes…

These are just a few of my favorite things that I’m sharing with you. So much of life is joy-filled.

Cherril Doty is an artist, writer, and creative coach exploring the many mysteries of life in the moment. She can be reached by e-mail at cherril@cherrildoty.com or by phone at (949) 251-3883.