Every month, I’m going to give you a few things that have brought me joy in recent weeks. Maybe you’ll love them, too. Maybe they’ll inspire you to find other joyful things more suited to your tastes and temperament. And I’d love to hear from you — in the comments below or by email — what’s making YOU happy lately?
Thing 1: My Husband
It is not my aim, generally speaking, to get TOO personal on this blog. I mean, yes, I’m baring some of my artistic soul, and talking about the ups and downs of my creative life, but I’m a bit more protective about the other people in my life than I am about myself.
But I couldn’t help it. When I realized that my next “Favorite Things” post would be falling on the husband’s BIRTHDAY, I didn’t feel like I could just leave him out. He’s absolutely my favorite, without exception, all the time.
To make this slightly more relevant to my usual topics: he’s the best partner that a writer could have. He’s a big word nerd. He doesn’t take it at all personally when I say, “Go away, so I can write.” And he has unshakeable faith in me, which comes in SUPER handy on the days my own faith gets pretty shaken.
Thing 2: Birthdays, in General
Seriously. I know a lot of people that get anxiety around their birthdays, for a variety of reasons, and that’s one of those things I wish I could just wave my hands and make better for people. I love birthdays — my own and other people’s — and not just because of the cake. (although I love the cake)
To me, celebrating someone’s birthday isn’t about their age. Unless you are very old, or very young, I don’t really think that getting older is that much of an accomplishment. (Aging with health and humor is a totally different matter, and should be celebrated every fricking day, if you ask me). But BIRTHDAYS are for celebrating the existence of someone you care about. And I love them. And if I know you in person, and happen to discover that it’s your birthday: be warned, because I’m gonna celebrate, whether you like it or not.
Thing 3: Dot’s Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Twists
This one’s pretty silly, but that’s the spirit of this series.
I grew up in a certain kind of American household, where sprinkling some cinnamon and sugar on a buttered piece of toast was the ultimate simple pleasure. Delicious, comforting, and not-too-expensive for a family on a budget. My memories of the times my parents used to fix me “cinnamon toast” are 100% positive, and very nostalgic, and the flavor combo has the same effect on me every time I eat it now.
When I saw Dot’s Pretzels had come out with a cinnamon and sugar flavor, I’ve got to say I was pretty skeptical. And since the grocery store only sold it in huge bags, I didn’t take the risk of trying them, for months. UNTIL we found a little snack-sized bag at the local hardware store. And I’ve got to say: this is one manufactured snack that TOTALLY nails it. It’s amazing. Not, “eat a huge bag in a couple of days” amazing, but “treat yourself to these when you’re feeling sad and lonely and the weather is terrible” amazing.
So – those are my three favorite things for March. What are yours?