Today, we’re celebrating yet another holiday from the mind of my favorite dinosaur about any three things you love. Since I just did a Hate post yesterday, it seems only fair and balanced to do a love post today.

Coming up with three things I love was surprisingly difficult since the #1 thing I love died in March. I had to really think about three things that make my current state of depression and grief more bearable. So, without further ado, I present three things I love with reckless abandon.

Animals

I was going to just say “my dog,” but I didn’t want to leave my relatively useless loaf of cat out. He doesn’t do much besides change places to lounge once in a while, however, he is excellent at receiving affection and his purrs are quite therapeutic. So, I thought about putting “my animals” as the header. Then, I remembered the best hour of my day is going to the dog park where I get to pet a million different dogs. I always feel like Snow White in the forest.

Animals have a sixth sense for knowing when you’re unhappy or down. They will do whatever they can to cheer you up. They are loyal and constant and give absolutely unconditional love. Yes, even my cat unconditionally loves me. He might get annoyed when I take him to the vet, but he always comes around. I couldn’t survive this world without a fuzzy critter around to try to make everything better and I certainly wouldn’t try.

Humor

My sense of humor has become tarnished and dull lately, partly due to grief and partly from depression, but it is ultimately responsible for my continued existence. Without it, I would not have survived this long. I would have caved under the weight of trauma long ago.

My humor allows me to find the levity in everything, and believe me, there is something funny about everything that has ever happened. You might not find it at the time, but perhaps years later, you will find something bright and shiny buried under even the deepest tragedies. There is always a little silver string of humor in everything, even if it’s only tangentially related.

My sense of humor hasn’t been good at finding the silver string lately. It has morphed from a lightweight samurai sword to more of a medieval weapon like a morning star.

It is cumbersome and unwieldy. It is almost too heavy to lift, let alone use effectively, and sometimes, I hurt myself with it, but it is not gone. It’s not a razor-sharp weapon now, but it can still deliver a blunt force blow. It has not disappeared entirely and thanks be for that, since if it had, I wouldn’t be here.

Words

I’ve been having trouble with those lately, too. They don’t come easily. They don’t flow. I edit like crazy and I still can’t get them in the proper formation; I can only get them good enough. They don’t form in my brain and pester me until I write them down like they normally do; I have to force them out. I have to pull and prod and cajole them into existence.

But, even if I can’t find my own words, you always have yours. No matter what I write, there you are with your own experiences, insight and humor. You help. Once I hit publish on this choppy, half-assed post, which is a mere fraction of what I’m capable, I know you will be there with your own words that will mingle with mine to form a whole. Thanks for that. Happy Tribus.

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Also in the running for three things: coffee and music.

What’s your Tribus? Show us your three and link up.