Five things I'm loving right now.

I found myself in a momentary funk the other day, when I spotted a tweet about a five things I love link party over at a blog called Back to the Basics. (Social networking at it's finest.) 
I scraped myself off the couch, thought of five current favorites fairly quickly, and instantly felt like the glass was once again half-full. Some of these things I have loved for a good, long time (lattes!), some of these things I have just recently learned to love (change...oy).   Here you go...five things I'm loving right now...

  Slowing Down. I'm in the process of reading One Thousand Gifts, and I'm learning a lot about gratitude. #1 observation: it's hard to be grateful when you're always in a hurry. I'm trying to put less on my calendar each week and manage my time better. I want to build space into my life so I have time to practice gratitude. I want to adopt a childlike attitude of wonder. I want to enjoy my life not just live it. I want to notice the little things. Like these fish. In Meijer. Because grocery shopping, like life, is not an emergency.

  Elementary School-ers. I love mine, of course, but I'm also talking about the bigger realm of K through 5th graders. I've never been the type to come alive in a room full of toddlers, making animal sounds, crawling around on my hands and knees, reading the same book 56 times... but as I volunteer in D & E's school, I'm learning that I enjoy this age group a whole lot. I like talking to them, learning their names, sharing a kind word, sending a smile their way. Kids this age are sweet, receptive, and still think Dylan T.'s mom is cool.  

  Change. I know. Not the obvious choice for a "things I love" post, but hear me out. I've heard it said that change is a form of loss. And loss can be sad and scary and uncomfortable. But I've also heard it said that change is to be expected. And when I shift my perspective and realize that change is a natural part of life, suddenly it doesn't seem so frightening. When I realize that out of change and loss often springs new life and opportunity, I am filled with hope and renewed energy and gratitude. I'm filled with thankfulness for what was... and for what will be.

  Lattes. Previous fav: rasberry white chocolate mocha. Current fav: pumpkin spice (I also love all things seasonal). I know the statistics on what I could be doing with the $5 dollars I spend a couple times a week on lattes, but I also know that lattes make me feel warm and fuzzy and can turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary one (or salvage a particularly terrible grocery store outing). I also found a workaround to any latte-inspired guilt: I pick one up for a friend too and suddenly it's an act of generosity, rather than indulgence. It's my little way of paying the latte love forward.

  All things SILLY. Here's a theory: we take ourselves a bit too seriously. Want to experience joy, spread joy, laugh a little (or a lot)? Try acting silly. For my dear friend Theresa's birthday, we spent the morning driving around from place to place, collecting birthday freebies. The list included a bear claw, an ice cream sundae, two cute bowls, queso dip, an appetizer, a piece of chocolate cake and some ready-to-bake cookie dough. We allowed ourselves to act ridiculous, laughed until our sides hurt, and garnered a lot of smiles from strangers. Silly? Yes. An amazeballs way to spend a morning? Absolutely.   Enough about me. What five things are you loving right now?
Linking up here...