Things to love this summer.

[ghostmouse]

I love drawing with kids, and that this is actually part of my job.

I love being exhausted and feeling like I earned it by working hard for others, instead of just being exhausted from wrestling with my own stupid brain all day and never getting outside of it.

I love seeing my two distant best friends when they come home, and particularly when I'm included in family things with one of them.

I love when I plan something pretty nutty for the kids at work, so nutty that I almost decide not to do it because I worry it's one of my crazy ideas, but I go ahead and do it anyway, and it ends up being glorious in ways I could not have imagined.

I love when parents of kids I work with tell me I'm good at my job. Especially when they say they wish they could come to camp.

I love when I get an email from my agent. Even if she's forwarding a rejection. The fact that I'm in a position to get rejections from actual editors who've actually read my book is one of the few thoughts that really cheers me up right now. And theoretically, something that isn't a rejection could come at any time too...but let's not get carried away.

I love when one of my online writer friends has something to celebrate.

I love when I read a book I've been looking forward to for a long time, and it's even better than I expected.

I love when I read a book right when it comes out.

I love reading out loud.

I love when I find myself in an incredibly uncomfortable, even scary interaction, and the other person suddenly turns it around by saying the perfect thing to put me at ease.

I love how people dance in my hometown.

I love cuddling with my friends at the foot of the stage at a music festival.

I love drives with my mom where she tells me things I didn't know about her.

I love when I recommend a book to somebody and they love it.

I love when I recommend a book to somebody and they've already read it and they love it and we can jump straight to fangirling together.

I love seeing kids get better over the course of the summer: kinder, more patient, more confident in their abilities...whatever it is they need to work on, I love being there to guide and witness it.

I love when I find out one of my smart friends loves the same stupid thing I do.

I love drinking coffee, being sniffed by dogs, and hugged by old friends at the farmer's market.

[ghostmouse]

I love when kids who I haven't seen in so long that they don't remember my name still have an immediate trust and enthusiasm towards me -- that whatever impression our previous time together has left, they feel secure and happy around me.

I love when kids I worked with when they were tiny children suddenly show up as these glamorous, clever, awesome young adults I see around at a coffee shop or concert. It's worth the feeling old to see who they're becoming.

I love that my best friend is the sanest person I know and he still seems to want my crazy face in his life, even after living with me for 2 years (and even though it would be pretty easy to just drop me now that he's moved across the country).

I love when you meet somebody and click really well and have a wonderful time together for somewhere between 1-48 hours, and then part ways without expecting anything further of each other. (I know it sounds like I'm talking about a one night stand but in my experience this is actually better when there is no sex involved. Instant intimacy with people I happen to sit next to on a long bus ride, for example. As somebody with a lot of social anxiety and defences, I have no idea how this happens when it happens, but it makes me so happy.)

I love breakfast dates, the earlier the better. I'm not a morning person, but I wish I was. It's such a wholesome time of day, and the predictability and basicness of a diner breakfast menu, and you have to love anybody who gets out of bed just to see you a little bit more. Plus morning silences in conversation aren't usually awkward, just sleepy.

I love going to the movies by myself.

I love going to the movies with my best friend and a water bottle of gin & tonic to share.

I love when I tweet something feeling like it's totally weird and will make no sense to anybody else, and a total stranger favs or retweets it.

I love when I'm so totally in the world of what I'm writing that I stop worrying about whether it's "good."

I love intense but totally platonic physical affection.

I love kissing somebody when it's been a really long time since I've kissed somebody and thinking, "oh! I can still kiss people!"

I love talking a walk outside with a really little kid, letting their curiosity be the guide, just being there to keep them safe and explore alongside them.

I love when you meet somebody for the first time and immediately start sharing snacks.

I love overhearing really sweet, positive interactions between parents and kids on public transportation.

I love getting into silly conversations with kids and their parents while we're outside the library waiting for it to open.

[ghostmouse]

I love having really strong opinions about which Disney princesses should be married to each other.

[ghostmouse]

I love problem kids with hearts of gold. I feel for them and I worry about them, but #1, I love them.

[heart]

I love this entire thread and I would really love to hear your disney princesses marriage arrangements