Appreciation

Here are some things recently that I really appreciate.

Showers. I've been participating in tandem showers a lot lately, which is fun and intimate. I love the feeling of water all over me and the way that the bathroom fills with steam and how I feel warm all over, even though really nothing is wrapped around me, like when I'm warm and lying in bed. And then when the shower is over, I feel all clean and new. That's probably the best thing about a shower - the way that it can seem to wash away more than dirt. Showers are good for the soul. Showers are the answer to solving all the world's problems. When I become Supreme Dictator of Earth, I will stop all the killing and depravity. I will install showers in every home and brainwash my constituents to appreciate showers in a very similar manner to myself. Then they'll be happy and they won't steal from their neighbors or commit adultery or disrespect their parents. Hmmm...More brilliant ideas on my part...When I do become Supreme Dictator of Earth, I'll need to employ missionaries to do my evil bidding.

Time. I have a lot of it these days. It's really all that I have a lot of at all. Time is something that I have always been very aware of. I do a lot by schedules and keep my date book up to date even in the summers and I do everything on time and I freak out if I'm not punctual for something. I like to have my own time to do things for myself. Now I can give plenty of time to the people I love and it is making me incredibly happy. It especially makes me happy when I feel like I am helping someone or making their life just a little bit easier because of the time I can offer. Like on Saturday when I spent all day helping Kelly and his roommates move into Kelly's new house. Or when Patri or Bethany calls me and I can talk to them as long as they want or need. Or how all week this week I'm watching my little brother Conor, which really just involves a lot of playing. Plus, all this time I get to spend with the people I love gives me more of an opportunity to appreciate them before I leave for Virginia.

Hospitality. I love it so much when I go to someone's home and they make me feel welcome. Not just inviting-welcome, but so welcome that their home feels like my home. Like they really want me to be there.

Home. Lately, I've been calling three different places "home." One place I will always call home is mi mum's abode. I haven't lived there since I was 17, but it will always be home. All my stuff is at my grandma's house, so that is home, too. That's where I go for a change of clothing and when I spend time alone. When I start packing, this is where I will be performing said activity. And finally, I've been calling Kelly's new house "home" as well. I don't really have stuff there (some shower stuff and a continual rotation of clean clothing) but I do spend a lot of time there and that is where I sleep every night. I feel a lot more home there than I ever did at his previous house for whatever reason. And I like that a lot.