by Julie Sewell-Schmidt

Created on: November 09, 2008

I love the leaves in the fall, spinning from sky to earth in their golds, reds and browns. It brings about memories of jumping in the piles of leaves in the front yard of my childhood home, wearing scarves hand-knitted by my grandmother and drinking hot chocolate with mini marshmallows.

I love watching the ocean ebb and flow, waves rolling over each other, lapping up on the beach. The tranquil feeling I'm filled with is interrupted only by the slight shifting of sand under my feet, bringing to my surface the respect and awe the water deserves.

I love driving to see Christmas lights late at night, reflecting off the snow. There's something peaceful about the muted colors in the silence of the night.

I love that in our world we can agree to disagree about political, religious, and personal issues, but we put our differences aside and come together as a collective soul to help others that have suffered a tragedy.

I love that I can drive to the local supermarket and buy whatever I want, anytime I want, and not worry about standing in bread lines or having my supplies rationed.

I love the beauty of the mountains that stand guard to the west, providing a home for the wildlife that remains resilient and hearty, despite our actions as humans that threaten their existence.

I love my computer and the world that it brings to my desktop in my own home. From news sites to entertainment pages, from jokes to corny chain letters, from websites that let me express my creativity to e-mail scams and spam, I love it all.

I love my children who fall asleep on my shoulder, with their little drops of drool cascading down the corners of their mouths which dampen my shirt. If they smell a little like applesauce or macaroni and cheese, all the better.

I love the library. Books, books, books! Magazines, reference materials, CDs, DVDs, books on tape, new releases, the children's reading corner it's like walking into heaven on earth. If I had the time, I'd devour every single page in every publication and then start all over again.

I love being in love and loving someone else. The feeling of being complete is more than a quote from a movie. To love and give your heart to someone with the confidence that they'll take your heart and hold it gently, nurturing it and caring for it as if it were an extension of their own is beyond material worth. To love someone, praise and respect them, encourage and uplift them, give them your soul, fills the body with a sensation that can't be matched.

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