I often find myself pondering my favorite things. Just simple things that make me happy, like glitter, and strawberry shortcake; jewelry, the color pink, and wood putty (you can even buy pink wood putty, which I especially love because it is a double dose of my favorites). I like to make lists of my favorite things…my list never seems complete as I am always adding things.
This morning I was watering my garden, thinking about my favorite things…very typical for me. In my very happy state of blissful favorites, I looked around at my beautiful landscape, the life surrounding me and suddenly, everything in sight became my new favorite thing.
“You are my favorite corn stalk, you are my favorite flower, my favorite squash, my favorite pumpkin vine…”
Then I see my favorite rhubarb, which is outrageously huge. A single rhubarb leaf is so big…I could wear it as a skirt…which wouldn’t be a bad idea if my name was Jane and I lived in a Northwest jungle with a tan, tree swinging, jaw dropping Tarzan. And then I see a dragonfly and my thoughts are interrupted and my mind wanders to something more practical…like making another rhubarb cake. Yeah, skip the leaf skirt, I’ll make a cake.
Back to my favorites.
“You are my favorite tomato, you are my favorite butterfly, you are my favorite tree, my favorite zinnia…I love you, and you, and you, and you…”
And then the garden box full of zucchini draws my attention…”Oh zucchini…that’s my real favorite.”
They are a brilliant color green, they grow bigger every day, and there are millions of them! Well, not really millions, but I have zucchini practically coming out of my ears. I might just throw a party and use zucchini as party favors. Or then I might just gorge myself on zucchini.
I’ve always known zucchini was my favorite and I am reminded of it often. I know it every time I eat zucchini in a casserole, or in chicken curry…I especially know it when it’s battered and fried. I fell in love with zucchini years ago when I first ate it, and I fell in love all over again a couple months ago when I planted it. I felt eager, excited. I found myself falling in love with the process; digging in the dirt, labeling the veggies, watering the garden…loving the way the garden looks, the way it smells, the way it feels…falling in love with the baby zucchinis, watching them grow, anticipating harvest.
I let myself fall head over heels in love with every part of zucchini. And that’s what I like. It’s not really so much about the zucchini, but about the process… about love. The fun part was falling in love.
Then it dawned on me; do I love myself the way I love zucchini? Do I love who I am becoming? Do I love myself with eager anticipation? Am I my favorite?
At that moment, I decided it would be fun to deliberately love myself like I love zucchini. To encourage myself like I gently talked to the zucchini when I planted it in the ground… To praise my progress like I praise the growing zucchini… To talk about myself in adoration… To give myself attention like I water the zucchini. To let myself do things just because it feels good, just like the zucchini hangs out in the dirt and feels the warmth of the sun every day.
I decided to abandon my limitations, set aside my measuring stick and let myself fall in love with me. The natural, evolving, razz-matazz, zucchini me…my new favorite.
Not the “good hair day” me, not the me that got all the laundry washed and folded. I’m not going to just love the me that has a clean car, or perfectly painted toenails, or the me that has a record breaking number of “likes” on my facebook status. I’m going to love the zucchini part of me. The lopsided, asymmetrical, I probably should have been picked yesterday, zucchini me. The me that is unpredictable, a little rough around the edges, yet radiant and delicious in unexpected ways.
Fall in love with yourself. Don’t force it, just let go and allow it. Let yourself be your favorite. It’s easier than you think and more exhilarating than you could ever imagine.
…Learn how to fall in love with your zucchini self more fully at You Impression…it’s a good place to be.
In appreciation,
Kristina
No comments:
Post a Comment