What are we?

“The things that we love tell us what we are.” – Thomas Aquinas

I love the sound of snow falling in the night, colorful flowers blooming in my garden, and fresh, cut blooms in a vase inside. I love hot coffee in the morning served in the perfect mug. I love a cloudy day that keeps me inside writing or reading without guilt. I love my family and friends and although this is rather obvious, I must include! I love handwritten letters (I am behind on a few of these myself), walking through the woods on chilly days with my dog, witnessing the New Year ruckus of my now grown kids and their friends as they catch up on the old and ring in the new…

I love that my husband still plans anniversary getaways for us. I love that we still get to celebrate anniversaries. I love opening my suitcase to find the card he wrote to me so many years ago tucked inside -I keep it there just to remind me of our young love. I also love the special card or letter hidden within the pages of random books placed by me years previous for my (or someone else’s) later discovery.

I love the soft whisper of my cat visiting in the night, the light purring of her presence telling me she, too, is content. I love a freshly painted wall, Michelangelo’s David at The Accademia, pasta and a good, red wine. I love food, period! I love that I can text with my daughter at almost any hour and get a response immediately. I love that I know my son is smiling at my texts…and sometimes I get a thumbs up!

I love sitting in the warm water’s edge of a sandy beach, collecting shells, remembering how my mother liked to do the same. Our backs were like bronzed pennies from our shell seeking walks. I love bubble gum, still at this ridiculous age, and will pop and smack like my adolescent self. I love warm, cozy sweaters, leather purses, hats with pom-poms and ice-hockey.

I love poking around in antique stores imagining who owned the items I now touch. I love exploring new cities with old architecture, colorful doors, and friendly faces. I love photographing my experiences so I can revisit the moments when my memory clouds. I love sleeping at night and rising each morning.

I love how thoughts strung together tell a story about who I am yet does it truly tell what I am as the quote suggests? The article what suggests a ‘thing’ or some ‘assigned title’. Will someone reading my blog in the future know what I was? In transcribing all that I love, both here and throughout my blog, readers will become familiar with who I was as a person. He or she might get a sense that I was someone who loved nature, the seasons, doors, her friends and family, travel, and bubblegum.

Perhaps the two articles, who and what, are meant to be interchangeable here? If so, I’d re-word this quote to better reflect the idea that all we embrace and love in life tells the story of who we are:

“The things we love most reveal who we are.”- dlh

Who are You?

♥ Inspired by The Daily Post’s Discover Challenge, Transcript.