Chris. Sam. Gus. Mary Claire. George. Coffee and a Mac and words tumbling through my brain. Mint chocolate. Pajamas, preferably cozy PJ pants and an old t-shirt. My beautiful forever friends. Loud laughter. Quiet nights by the fire. Books. Books. More books. Great fiction. Vacations. Kindness. St. George Island. A cabin in the woods. An Adirondack chair by a lake. Fall colors. Reeses peanut butter eggs or trees or hearts. Chocolate chip cookie dough. A heavy pour of a good Cabernet. Dave Matthews, John Mayer, and Barry Manilow. Lyrics written by The Indigo Girls. Watching Modern Family with my family. The unconditional love of my dogs. And the feel of their fur. My mom. My family. The way Jocey wrinkles her baby nose when she smiles. Pumpkin patches and cinnamon smells in the fall. A book on the beach with the ocean at my toes. Glorious sunsets. San Francisco. Apothic Red. Pesto. Holding hands. Sappy love songs. Hugs. The satisfying smack of a softball in my glove. Singing at the top of my lungs in the car. Family game nights. Watching my kids sleep. Three-hour lunches and spinach-artichoke dip. Kick-ass shoes. Looking through old photos. Sitting in comfortable silence with a friend. Walks through the woods. John Denver’s Christmas album. Dog dreams. Julia Glass. An unexpected windfall. Anonymous giving. The city of Indianapolis. Ambient restaurants. The warmth of a campfire. Fuzzy socks. A heartfelt compliment either given or received. Great quotes. Life is Good apparel. Curley Girl. The way I feel after a run. Nailing a three-pointer… still. Peanut butter M&Ms. The first sentence. Coffee mugs. Having my hair washed at the salon. A hot stone massage. The color blue. Taking risks. The St. Vincent’s NICU nurses. Slow dancing with my husband. Lip gloss. Listening to my kids laugh. The smell of freshly mown grass. A good summer storm. Front porches. Outdoor kitchens. New Orleans. Angels. Date nights. A clean house. Warm, buttered bread. Tuesday lunches with The Girls. New friends who instantly become old friends. Unlimited possibilities. Learning. Growing. Becoming. Hallmark cards. My iTunes playlists. Wrapping up in a cozy blanket. Meeting my kids’ friends. Kisses on the lips. Picking out new glasses. Sunshine on my face. Offering a crying shoulder. The warm embrace of a loved one. Smiling at strangers. Dyptique Do Son perfume. Going to the movies. Butterflies. Parties. My blue chair. Libraries. Candles. The next breath.

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This post was written in response to Amy Oscar’s Writing Circle prompt, “Things I Love in 400 Words.”