These critical eyes

When I think about the people I love, a lot of things pop into my head. They are the things I would miss most if they were gone. Interestingly enough, the things I cherish the most are not the big things but the little things. For instance, when I think about my grandma, my favorite thing about her appearance is her hands. If I had a thousand pairs of hands to look at, I could pick hers out with no problem. They are wonderful. They are 87 years old and have weathered years of cooking, hard work, and intricate knitting patterns. The skin is dark and smooth and the nails are always trim. There is no sign of arthritis or dark veins sticking out. They are very small and truly beautiful, wonderful hands. You would have to see them to really appreciate them. I will remember what they look like for the rest of my life.

Another thing etched in my mind is the sound of my mom's cough. When I'm in a crowded room, I can always hear it. It is more of a cough-throat clear combination. I love that sound.

I spend the most time with Mark, my husband, so I have been able to observe his sounds, smells and rituals for years. I love his feet. He always wears socks, even to bed (but strangely the socks wander off his feet and get stuck in the sheets by the morning). As a result, he has the softest feet I've ever felt. They are not nasty and cracked like my flip-flop abusing ones are. I also like the sound he makes when he is lifting something heavy. It is the same sound the body builders make when they are dead-lifting 500 pounds - this puff of forced air. Every time I hear it, it makes me smile.

My sister and my brother have crooked pinkies for absolutely no reason. It looks like their fingers were closed in car doors and broken. I managed to dodge this genetic bullet. But I love it!

These are the things that makes these people I love into individuals; it makes them original. These are the things I would miss most if they were suddenly gone.

My eyes typically notice everything and my mind processes detail quickly. Put these together and you have a critical eye and someone who can point out faults at the drop of a hat (I'm not proud of this). Someone once suggested that I could be a home assessor because I could find all the faults of a home by just walking into the room. The flip side of this is that I love to find the details in things and people that I can really appreciate. These small things give me great pleasure.

So people, yes, sometimes I am judging you, but many more times I am appreciating you!