Thursday Thirteen – Chicken Soup Edition

November 12, 2009 on 12:01 am | In Elise, Uncategorized | 16 Comments

Today is Chicken Soup For the Soul Day (I’m not making that up. It is.), so I thought I’d do a list of thirteen things that are good for my soul. This list, obviously, is personal to me, and what soothes my soul might not be what soothes yours. But hopefully, you’ll enjoy my list and get something out of it.

1. Cuddling with DH. When I’m tired, worn, or just stressed, cuddling up with DH and having him just rub my back and hold me makes everything seem more bearable.

2. Cuddling up with Munchkin. There is nothing, nothing, like cuddling up with the cuteness and adoration that is our Munchkin. It’s somehow affirming to hold your child and know that there is continuity and wonder in life.

3. Petting my cats. Something about the repetitive action of petting, the softness of the fur, the strong rumble of a cat’s purr that just relaxes and soothes me. My cats are like fuzzy Valium.

4. Nature. As mentioned last week, our backyard is like Wild Kingdom, so there’s always something to watch. The uncomplicated beauty and simplicity help me put things in perspective.

5. A long, hot shower. I’m not much for baths, I don’t particularly dig sitting in water. But a good hot shower – steam curling through the bathroom, the water beating the tension from your shoulders – that’s a thing of beauty. Sadly, I rarely get a chance for these between other people showering and scheduling constraints. When I do, though, I enjoy the way they help me recharge.

6. Music. Music helps me hit those inner emotional notes – which is one reason I find it so necessary when I write. What music I find soothing varies with mood. Sometimes it’s kind of mellow pop/vocal stuff like Natalie Merchant, Melissa Etheridge, or Adam Ant’s Wonderful CD (which is about as far removed as the jumpy, jive-filled riffs of  the Adam Ant of my youth as Rod Stewart’s Rat Pack jazz is from his rocker roots). Other times, I need the complex and layered instrumentals of classical orchestral pieces (I am a big Vivaldi fan, but Bach often works, too), or the visceral sensuality of classical guitar (Jesse Cook, Christopher Parkening, Paul Galbraith). My music collection is wide and varied, so I can always find something that works.

7. Sleep. I often don’t get enough sleep, so being able to sleep until I’m ready to wake is a great luxury. I think we sometimes forget the simple pleasure of being well-rested.

8. Sunshine. Nothing lifts my spirit quite the same way as seeing the sun come out from behind the clouds – it is the ultimate symbol of hope and affirmation.

9. Stargazing. The very vastness of the heavens is at once belittling and uplifting. Belittling in the sense that you have a sense of scale that confirms you as a tiny part of an infinite reality, but uplifting in the sense that it keeps everything in perspective.

10. Food. I’m not gonna lie here, sometimes chicken soup is chicken soup. Or, in my case, ice cream or really excellent chili. Or a batch of brownies. Or mashed potatoes. Why is comfort food so bad for you? *sigh*

11. Escapist entertainment. Again, I’m not gonna lie. I’m not all classical music and dissertation. I am a CSI junkie and a recent addict of Dancing With the Stars (and, btw, why didn’t anyone ever tell me about the hot pro dancers? Louis and Maksim hit both ends of my hot spectrum, with Derek nailing the goofball portion of the program. And no one should ever, ever let Maksim shave again.).

12. And that points up another one. Hot eye candy. Which sounds painful when phrased in just that way, but you know it isn’t. My tastes in eyecandy are perhaps less wide and varied than my musical tastes, but they cover a lot of territory. As a result, I can usually find something that catches my eye.

13. A good book, particularly a romance. I don’t think I’m alone in wanting to lose myself in a good book when I’m stressed or overwhelmed. There is something ridiculously satisfying about reading through the trials and tribulations of characters I learn to love, knowing they will find happiness at the end, but walking with them through that journey. It is at once hopeful and affirming, and that is very, very good for my soul.

What about you? What’s good for your soul?