those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. for these, there is hope. ― oscar wilde

• cherry blossoms in the spring
• strangers holding the door open for others with a smile
• bass powerful enough to feel in your chest
• indulgent drinks and walking around with friends
• old, beaten up paperbacks and used bookstores
• sunsets over the prairies
• cowboys, or at least, the idea of cowboys
• when dogs tilt their head and one of their ears flops up
• snowboarding through powder
• petting a cat to sleep in your lap
• steam rising from a hot drink in the morning or evening
• scars (les cicatrices)
• freckles and moles (les constellations?)
• painting and drawing, throughout human history
• streetlights at night in the fog
• sleeping with your head on someone's shoulder or lap
• amateur rock shows in tiny venues
• elderly people in meticulously maintained vintage cars
• the way traditional dances differ in different cultures
• spontaneous conversations that occur between strangers on public transit
• the unique shape and contours of each person's smile (their real smile, when they don't even realize it's happening)
• nicknames with weirdly specific origin stories
• when a friend says "this is so you" and it really, really is
• eating raspberries off the bush
• playing video games with someone on the couch and being able to elbow and shove them around while doing so
• when a prey animal trusts you enough to eat out of your hand (is this what it's like interacting with me? much to think about)
• sleeping so good your sickness or injury is healed in the morning
• when a baby grabs your finger with a tiny hand
• singing with others, e.g. at karaoke, to the car radio, at church
• teachers and professors who really care about their students
• listening to the rain falling at night
• long philosophical conversations