Raindrops on Roses

T. Michelle
Mar 25, 2021
3 min read

If you spend a little time with me, you’ll learn that one of the movies that I can watch over and over (and over) is The Sound of Music. I also know that many of the people I love and admire don’t share my passion for the 1965 musical drama.

Now, there are a few things that probably work against this movie. It is nearly three hours straight through; the run time with commercials will cost you a solid four hours of your life. The film is definitively not diverse (but probably accurate for the time and place). To those who don’t like musicals ( horrors!), the actors bursting into song can be a little off-putting. And the characters lack dimension; they behave and develop predictably (which I happen to like).

And I love the Sound of Music, nonetheless.

Even if you see the movie’s shortcomings as reasons NOT to watch it ever, I’d argue that it includes one of the best musical compositions of all time – “Favorite Things”. Further, even if you don’t like Maria’s version of the song with the Captain’s (not bad, just attention starved) kids (again, see Sound of Music); can we agree that jazz saxophonist John Coltrane’s take on this classic is brilliant?

I’ve loved “Favorite Things” as long as I can remember –

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with string

These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites

When the bee stings

When I’m feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel so bad…

The tune and lyrics are simple (which, again, John Coltrane elevates to extraordinary levels of greatness) and meaningful. Simply put - recalling and savoring our favorite things helps when life’s clouds inevitably come. That last line also reminds me of Psalm 77:11…”But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago…”

But I know it’s easier said than done. I couldn’t help but think about Gabrielle Union’s book We’re Going to Need More Wine when she shared the story of being asked by a life coach what was on her happy list. She talked about struggling to come up with any items and ultimately listed “ground beef, real butter, and imitation crab”. Gabrielle admitted that the challenge in identifying items (coupled with answering “imitation crab” versus the real thing) revealed to her that she needed to spend more time getting clear on what made her happy, what comprised her list of favorite things.

I think there’s a lot to gain by intentionally asking ourselves what brings us joy and getting clear on the answers. This bit of self-knowledge can help us to navigate those times “when the dog bites” more deftly, knowing that there are things and experiences that have and can make our souls smile.

This information can even help us to give others clarity on how to best support us. And I’m guessing that it’s worth revisiting what brings happiness from time to time, the answers likely changing as we change.

So…even though you didn’t ask, here are a few of my favorite things: