Thanks, Lee Ann Womack! And Pat Young.

I was in the Seventh Grade. I'm from a super urban town (not) so we switched classes back then. <-- For all you actual Urbanites out there, this means  that we had different teachers for different subjects. Fancy, I know. Mrs. Pat Young was my English teacher. Mrs. Young had many endearing qualities about her, but here are the few of the highlights:

-- She was one of the kindest people you would ever meet.
--Her husband's name was J.C.  (This was in the peak of N'Sync era so this fact alone made me love her)
--She always reapplied her makeup after lunch or snack time. How 1950s of her.
--She was always encouraging us to dream.

One time during the writing portion of the day she played "I Hope You Dance" By Lee Ann Womack and asked us to write a journal entry about what we thought this song meant and how we could apply it to our lives.

Even though I rolled my eyes at this corny assignment, I can remember being secretly excited. Because I'm a nerd like that. Not only do I love to write, but when I get the chance to interpret a mushy song, my heart skips a beat a little bit. Its the perfect excuse to be uber weird and say dorky stuff and no one even thinks twice about it. Score.

I remember a whole slew of mushy things I wrote, but at the end of the paper, I drew (in bubble letters, duh) "May you never lose your sense of wonder."

That writing assignment sticks out in my mind so strongly because it's so very simple. May you never lose your sense of wonder.

This Monday brought me an actual day off. The office was closed, so a legit day off. Normally I would take this day of freedom to get caught up on other things, organize something like my attic or just get ahead of other things.  I actually made a list of 8 things to do that day. I woke up that morning at the normal time and went to the gym. As Im walking on the treadmill, my mom sent me a text saying that my nephew was at her house and he asked where his "Auntie Ann" was. Swoon.

Naturally, I threw the list in the trash and did more important things instead.

I made a fort with my precious nephew.

I crawled in his pack and play and "napped". (Mom/Em--Warning, he is way too big for a pack and play. Get a clue.

I ate scones with my mom.

I had lunch with a friend and coffee with another friend and lost track of time as we had  Honesty Hour.

I wondered around some shops in Nashville.

I drove around listening to Ben Rector and looking at the fall trees.

I wondered around Downtown looking at buildings and had a non-diet-compliant meal with David.

When I came home that day, my sense of wonder was slightly fulfilled. Being a tourist in your own city can sometimes be more fulfilling than being one in another country. In some small way, just doing something different, being with someone different and going somewhere different can fulfill that need.

My wish for you is the same as it was as my seventh grade self:

May You Never Lose Your Sense of Wonder.



**And for those of you just itching and scratching to see LeeAnn Womacks 90s curls and prom dress in this uber weird video, here ya go! <<I didn't even mention the mega cleavage shes got going on. You go, Lee Ann. You go.>>