Favorites

We all have our favorites.

You know ... those things, places and people you are drawn to over and over again.

We might have a favorite shirt; favorite jeans; favorite shoes; or a favorite jacket. Maybe it's a favorite place to dine; a favorite meal; or a favorite dessert. Your favorite might even be a very special vacation spot.

Maybe you have a favorite aunt or uncle or niece or nephew (though no one would probably admit such favoritism if asked about it). And nobody I know would admit to having a favorite among their children.

I imagine we have all had favorite cars, favorite homes, or a favorite chair. We have favorite television shows and favorite movies starring our favorite actors and favorite songs played by our favorite musicians and favorite paintings done by our favorite artist.

When I was growing up and spending summers at my grandparent's farm in the hills of north-central Arkansas, I had a favorite horse to ride and a favorite saddle and a favorite fishing hole. When back in the city, I had my favorite stores and restaurants and parks and swimming pools and neighborhood hangouts.

For many, our teen years were filled with favorites: favorite boyfriends or girlfriends; favorite first dates; favorite movie theaters; favorite "lovers-lane" types of places; favorite parties; favorite garage bands; favorite best friends; and favorite teachers. We can probably all still remember our favorite car from when we were young (for most of us - it was the first one).

As adults, we can probably list our favorite jobs and our favorite places where we've lived. We probably have favorite automobile brands and favorite airlines to use for travel and favorite routes to take to get from here to there. We have favorite coffee shops and favorite fast-food restaurants and favorite brands of baby clothes and diapers. We shop at our favorite sporting goods stores and have our favorite brands of hunting and fishing gear. We have our favorite authors and preachers and motivational speakers. We even have our favorite brands of motor oil and make-up and laundry detergent and toilet paper.

And the list could go on and on.

But there are many people who would tell you about another list of favorites. Folks who struggle to find enough to eat probably don't have a favorite meal except for the one set before them; for people who are homeless or those whose homes and lives have been devastated by a tornado or wildfire or earthquake, a favorite home might well be the roof over their heads; for an orphan a favorite home might be the one where they are loved and wanted and cared for.

Favorites, you see, are all about perspective.