A counsellor of mine once invited me to partake in an writing activity to help me move through some stagnant energy and grief that I was experiencing. She sent me this poem and asked that I write my own version, beginning each sentence with “I love.” The original poem is one of my all-time favourites- I have read it countless times and find many of the lines achingly beautiful. Creating my own rendition was highly therapeutic and remains one of my most treasured pieces of writing. I have shared it below and would encourage you to pen your own if you are in need of renewed inspiration, comfort or a reminder of the beauty that exists in the world.

I love when you appear in my dreams, allowing me to feel you again without the pain. 

I love nights where the moon is crisp, glowing and bright in that particularly magical way. 

I love starry skies. 

I love wrapping my hands around a warm mug of something nourishing. 

I love cozy sweaters with sleeves that are slightly too long. 

I love diving in to the first few pages of a new book. 

I love the smell of libraries. 

I love quiet, early mornings alone in my room where all feels safe, calm and peaceful. 

I love the first hint of fall in the air. 

I love the blissful moment of turning off the bedside light and pulling the covers up as far as they will go. 

I love waking without anywhere that I need to be. 

I love weekend breakfasts. 

I love when words flow out of my brain and onto a page in rich streams like warm honey. 

I love the feeling of perfectly warm sunshine on my face. 

I love being cradled in a hammock, floating above the Earth.  

I love the feeling of someone taking my cold hands in their warm ones. 

I love the mindfulness of baking and how it engages all of the senses. 

I love foraging fresh, wild berries in the summer months. 

I love being barefoot outside. 

I love the smell of cedar. 

I love when I see or read something truly relatable, closing the gap of aloneness I feel. 

I love Paris and the person I was while living there. 

I love being haunted by the ghost of you because without that, you are truly gone. 

I love the calming and rhythmic sound of ocean waves, lulling my crowded mind into a state of surrender. 

I love everything about the rain. 

I love the unfamiliarity and intrigue of arriving in a new country. 

I love when the perfect song comes on at the very moment that you need it. 

I love singing alone in my car with abandon. 

I love the moment just before a film is about to start. 

I love watching the first hint of colour at sunrise explode into a visual symphony. 

I love cherry and plum blossom trees in the Spring. 

I love the tangible silence when you realize you are all alone in the forest. 

I love the creaking of towering trees as they sway and shift with the wind. 

I love getting the most private corner spot at a café, especially if it is right by a window. 

I love the first bite of a great dessert. 

I love laughing until I cry. 

I love crying until I have nothing left.  

I love how much there is to love, even without you.