Loves and Hates

Love and Hate are strong words, maybe too strong to use for the things I normally think of in association with them.

I love walks in the woods, the music of nature, and the beauty of the earth God created….it feeds my soul.
I hate litterbugs.

I love a clever turn of phrase or a play on words that you sometimes stumble on unexpectedly when out for a drive. Things like “Hairway to Heaven” on a salon’s front door or “Brewed Awakenings” above the entrance to a local coffee shop.
I hate that I can never think of them myself.

I love being spontaneous…the reckless abandonment of schedules and timetables and normal routines can be so exhilarating. On the other hand, I also love schedules and timetables and normal routines….I might never get anything done without them.

I love the order and security that comes from a well thought out set of rules. I hate it when people just ignore the rules.

I love the satisfaction of a task completed well. I hate those tasks that are never possible to complete.

I hate being late for anything. Consequently, I am usually early which other people may very well hate, especially when I arrive before they are ready for me.

I love people in small doses, especially one on one. In all their endless variety, each one is unique in their personalities and perspectives, each with something valuable to offer simply in who they are.
I hate people in great numbers….crowds intimidate me and leave me stressed out and exhausted. The human race en masse can be a bit overwhelming.

That explains my love of quietness and solitude…no real surprise there. Silence lets my imagination soar and recharges my batteries. In fact, the older I get, the more often they need recharging.

I love a good story. If it is a good story I love it again and again and again.

I love both the bits of hard won wisdom and the confidence that have come with age. I hate the creaking joints and sometimes sleepless nights that have also come with age.

Of course there are loves that need strong words.

I love my family with all their many eccentricities. Words can’t express what I feel when I think of all that my husband has meant to me over the years. My heart bursts with love when I look into the sleeping face of my baby granddaughter. I will never cease to be amazed when I realize that that is how God feels when He looks at me. I cannot help but love Him in return.