things I like

I parked outside my childhood home the other Tuesday and started listing things I like. Here's what I wrote down:

I like how every day is pretty much the same and entirely different.

I like the silence of a room laughing so hard it can’t breathe.

I like how the world is just one big Venn diagram.

I like the promise of all the songs I haven’t listened to yet.

I like the way human bodies fit together like jigsaw pieces.

I like how a picture is actually worth a thousand words.

I like seeing muscles on women.

I like someone who brings something new to the table.

I like the dinner table.

I like dancing and not really being that good at it.

I like dimples and wrinkles and scars.

I like the feeling of falling when I’m falling asleep.

I like the way my heart dances when I feel inspired.

I like doing the Wordle.

I like that trees are the reason we can breathe.

I like captivating a room.

I like birds talking to each other in the morning.

I like having a plan.

I like when things don’t go to plan.

I like the foods that don’t have nutrition facts.

I like Mt. Joy.

I like how memories have their own schedule.

I like finding home in people.

I like when lacrosse looks beautiful.

I like the lessons I learn when I lose.

I like how some things are none of my business.

I like good grammar.

I like the weight that everyone’s name holds.

I like when people’s laughs make me laugh.

I like flirting.

I like putting on a costume every morning.

I like when I can feel music in my veins.

I like when people notice I’m not there.

I like having role models.

I like my black sneaker heels that make me 5’9”.

I like how easy it is to pay with cash.

I like when people earn my respect.

I like the power of the word.

I like the punch line.

I like potato chips in my PB&J.

I like people’s natural hair color.

I like feeling like I’m flying.

I like when my favorite people meet my favorite people.

I like not being scared of much.

I like sunglasses on a Sunday.

I like smiling.

I like the reds and oranges and pinks.

I like singing to the steering wheel.

I like being busy.

I like having nothing to do.

I like to see things through.

I like to make no sense.

I like talking to someone without saying anything.

I like to take my time.

I like knowing a lot of different kinds of people.

I like telling a joke.

I like following my gut.

I like writing all my thoughts down on a page.

I like people who just get it.

I like feeling loopy after a late night.

I like the chills and tingles of the morning.

I like going to the dentist.

I like when parents act like college kids.

I like kissing.

I like the smell of an old book’s spine.

I like seeing and hearing the world in color.

I like saying the words “Hi” and “Yes.”

I like breaking the rules.

I like following the rules.

I like how wisdom comes with age.

I like learning something new every single day.

I like losing my voice from using it too much.

I like leaving a place better than I found it.

I like that nothing is forever.

I like feeling alive.

And then, I wrote them down in a more groovy way:

It isn't to say that this is a comprehensive list. I imagine, and hope, this list will grow and shrink over time—someday, I may not like chips in my PB&J, or paying with cash may get rather complicated, and the Wordle will probably die out (although I can't imagine a life without Mt. Joy). But here's just a little snapshot of what was making me :) while stalking my used-to-be front yard the other Tuesday.