Hello from my office,
I have caught up on my morning class requirements, need to work on Spring things, and I hope to get some cards completed yet today, but I want to write and reflect too, so it seems, for the moment, the writing wins. When I was in elementary school, my hometown had a group called the Sioux City Children’s Choir. You had to audition to be in the choir, and we practiced weekly on Saturday afternoons. We recorded a Christmas album in the Masonic Temple and one of the Spring concerts was based on the pieces from Rogers and Hammerstein’s Sound of Music. To this day, I have most of the lyrics committed to memory. What are some of your favorite things? Ponder and remember for the moment, but as importantly, what makes them favorites? Seldom does something inanimate have the ability to become a favorite without a memory or experience surrounding it. And sometimes, those things which achieve such a status can be forgotten until something occurs to remind us of their importance. What makes something dear to us is something that evokes an emotion while simultaneously connecting us to both the thing and possibly the event. Sometimes the item or the event might seem even a bit mundane, but at the moment it had an incredible effect on our experience, changing our mood, brightening a moment, and creating a memory that is lasting.
As is well evidenced, Advent and Christmas are two of my favorite things, but if I break that down a bit, what were the memories that helped establish that? One was the food at my grandmother’s table. She and her elder sister, my Great-aunt Helen, were fabulous in the kitchen. They were not fancy, and yet they were elegant. That Christmas table was set in a way that you felt like you have been invited to the King’s Madrigal dinner. An experience, to this day, I wish I had participated in is a Madrigal event. Perhaps it will still happen. However, Christmas dinner at Grandma’s house was an event worth memory in and of itself. From the bakery pies to the fresh baked rolls and breads, from the perfectly prepared side dishes (and if you could imagine it, it was there) to the main courses of exquisitely prepared roast turkey and the juiciest of hams, from the sides of olives, candied crab apples, which I can no longer seem to find, it was a feast. The second thing I remember, and look at very differently now, is before we opened presents, we sang Christmas carols together (remember those small caroling books that were everywhere). My older brother and I played our instruments (he trombone and I trumpet) and my sister led the singing. We would sing for perhaps a half hour. At the time, I remember not liking to practice for this event, but while it occurred and everyone sang, it was quite fabulous. And perhaps a favorite present – one year we got a really nice wooden toboggan, and we would take it to slide down the hills at the acreage. It was a wonderful time. That toboggan provided hours of fun for the entire neighborhood, and my older brother used Johnson’s Paste wax, buffing it with an electric drill buffing disc until it shone in the light.
Looking back on favorite things or moments now, most of those things are about memories and people. Over the past month or so, I have been blessed to reconnect with an incredibly intelligent, insightful, and compassionate person. It is hard to believe we have known each other for over two decades, and yet there is this connecting thread that has woven its way through time and space, and much like two magnets, we have either attracted the other, or when circumstances were not ideal one could argue that like when the two poles of a magnet are the same,7 we were pushed apart. And yet, now it seems through conversations, texts, and questions we find that we have overlapping favorite things. The one that both surprises and tickles me is hot chocolate, or in their words hot cocoa. Who would have imagined? There are moments we both remember over the period of time, and while we do not always remember them the same, the recollections about those mutually- significant events have profound similarities when comparing thoughts and feelings. That has been a joy to uncover and imagine. Sometimes, we have little idea about, nor are we prepared for, how an encounter might change our lives.
However, I ponder some of my favorite things there is a theme, or so it seems. I am most at peace when the people around me are content with what is occurring. Contentment is illustrated most often by a smile, a sigh of relief, or simply feeling as there is nothing more that needs to happen at that time. I have learned through the years that a sense of serenity is rare, and oft times, we are not even aware that it has happened, that is, until it is gone. It is a quietness that needs not be broken. A second thing I find to be a preferred thing or state for me is that moment of unexpected happiness. It is when something falls into place, something is completed or accomplished, coming after some hard, intentional effort. We are not always aware that our task is finished, but there is an emotional release, allowing us to feel that proverbial weight off our shoulders, and the happiness that follows is genuine, nothing contrived. I remember when the chair of my dissertation shook my hand after my dissertation defense and the committee’s subsequent deliberation, and he said, “Congratulations, Dr. Martin.” I felt my legs seem to lose all feeling, wondering if it were his hand in mine that was holding me up. The relief and the happiness, the immense feeling of accomplishment is something I have seldom felt.
And yet, not all momentous moments of accomplishment have been joyful. I remember when I was ordained at my home parish in October of 1988. It was a moving service, and it went off well. The people I had invited, the participating clergy, family and friends were there to help me celebrate this important moment in my life. After the service, I there was the obligatory reception, and people gathered at my parents’ home following the reception, but I was not feeling celebratory. I was feeling so overwhelmed by the gravity of what had just occurred that I was sick to my stomach. The stole, the yoke, which scripture says would be light, not burdensome, felt more like the scriptural millstone. While I was happy to be ordained, the awesome reality of being a pastor was humbling and frightening. While I had passed the classes, managed certification, and felt a deep sense of calling, I felt inadequate and wondering if I could be true to that calling. Even though I eventually left the roster and finished a PhD, as my seminary colleague, colleague as a clergy person, and person for whom I have the deepest respect and joy for her friendship notes (and has through the years), “Michael, you have always been called.” She humbles me yet today. And yet those moments when the Holy Spirit worked through me, be it at a funeral, in a sermon, at a youth retreat, or in weekly worship are still some of my most treasured moments. It was not what I did, but rather what occurred through me. Even today in a classroom, in a advising meeting, in a committee meeting, I am only as effective as those around me make it possible. While I certainly have agency in all moments, it is the community working together that makes the best things happen.
It seems what connects all of this for me is that community, the group of people with whom I am fortunate enough to have surrounding me. Each class is its own community, and that showed up in my First Year Seminar in ways I never anticipated. Through the art and task of cooking together, the community created was stunningly effective. When things work, they are effective and efficient, I find a sense of joy and accomplishment, but it is about a group joy for me. When a class speaks to me at the end of the semester and says they learned things they never expected to learn, particularly in a Foundations in Composition course, I find happiness that is seldom paralleled. Most students are not pleased that Writing 103 is on their schedule, but a fall student wrote, “As my final sentiment to this last discussion post, I would like to thank you Dr. Martin. You pushed me every day of this class to better myself and also provided me with opportunities to do so outside of class. You offered a timeless and personal sense, sharing knowledge that many teachers I have had over the years lacked. It is truly educators like you that make students like me want to pursue a career in education.” Again, this is both humbling, but gratifying. It is one of my favorite things when I am fortunate enough to make a difference in someone’s life. Perhaps that has become my favorite thing, be it professional or personal, if what I do makes a difference, makes a person’s life better, more focused, more secure, more hopeful, I am the person who actually receives the gift. I have for at least half my life tried to live in a way that if my life makes other peoples’ lives more meaningful, I make my own life more meaningful. Let me note, there is no true altruistic nature in such a philosophical stance. I do gain something. Perhaps what I have gained is I know what brings me my greatest joy, simply making someone’s life more hopeful. So to simplify it here are some things that would classify for me as favorites (and some sound a bit oxymoronic): joy, hope, contentment, sincerity, gratitude, love, and peacefulness. Again, perhaps not ironic as I finish this post in the last week of Advent that those four candles, which are hope, love joy, and peace, are in my list. I wish you each a blessed remainder of this calendar year, and may the light of Epiphany shine bright for you in and throughout the coming year. One of my favorite pieces, both from the original movie, but as reimagined as the end of the first season for the New Directions in the show Glee, I leave this as I find it beyond moving.
Blessed Holidays to you all,
Dr. Martin
thewritingprofessor55 
Dr. Martin,
I enjoyed reading your blog and thinking about what you asked. My favorite things have always been sports and competing. The validation of beating someone has been what makes the world of sports so rewarding to me. Ever since I was a kid, I always turned to sports as my outlet. Through sports, I have met some of my best friends, learned countless life lessons (some the hard way), and made some of my fondest memories growing up.
The singing Christmas carols and the dinner you described at your Grandma’s house sound like great memories. For as long as I can remember my family has done waffles and gravy on Christmas eve and homemade raviolis that we make the weekend prior to Christmas. Although these are not very traditional Christmas foods, it is what I think of when I think of Christmas.
I am glad that you found so much happiness in teaching and making a difference in people’s lives. Your genuine care for your students is so easy for us to see. I appreciate how you expect a lot out of us, but also are understanding. You recognize the difficulties for us, taking this course over the holiday break, as we recognize the difficulties for you, teaching it over this short time frame.
Thank you for your post and safe travels.
Dr. Martin,
I appreciate your reflections upon your past, as always. To me, my favorite things are memories that I collect. In a literal sense, I keep a pretty detailed journal where I talk about my day, current things that I enjoy, and some of my current thoughts about different topics. I truly love those thoughts and memories that I can keep and reflect on. They are special to look back on, especially when I can literally watch as I grow and learn from my mistakes and the people around me. So while the act of writing is soothing and something that I love, the reason it is so special to me are the memories and people I immortalize. I see your blog as something similar to what I do, and I admire the ability to share your inner thoughts with others. I am not as eager to do so.
I liked your message about finding unexpected happiness. Oftentimes those are the most treasured memories of laughter and freedom that I have. I find that when I expect to find happiness in situations, I am often left disappointed at my lack of emotion. I cannot even begin to imagine the feeling of accomplishment and overwhelming happiness when you successfully defend your dissertation. That is an accomplishment that not many people can call their own. I enjoyed your point that not all accomplishments are filled with joy because that is something we often forget when imagining us reaching a goal. We cannot know how we will feel about an event in our life until we reach it sometimes. Although that’s not something that I necessarily love, it keeps life from becoming too mundane.
I am glad that you have found your community of people. I think that is something that all of your readers will be able to relate and connect to. I have found that in college, it is not what I am doing that makes me feel whole, but rather the people that I spend time with while going through life. It’s nice to know that you have a group of people to lean on when you need it at times.
I wish you the best of holidays and safe travels in the upcoming week.
Lily Kachel
Hello Dr. Martin,
Your post was very captivating to me. The way you are able to reflect back on so much in your life is something I aspire to do one day. I have become very busy and never had the chance to sit down and think about how certain things like little memories, conversations with others, etc. make such a big impact on my life. Through the last several posts of yours that I have read, they have all made me sit back and think for a while. This has allowed me to see things differently in life recently and become more thankful and aware of what is surrounding me. I wanted to thank you for that since it is something that I didn’t think I would need to do, but I now realize now that I do and the benefits it has.
Your story about your family on Christmas with your holiday traditions brings joy to me. I love to hear about all different holiday traditions and something like singing Christmas carols would not work in my family but is such a good idea that would work well as a bonding moment. My grandma hosts Christmas every year at her house and even though she is the only cook she makes enough food for everyone to eat twenty times. She spends a whole week preparing for Christmas Day, but to this day never lets anyone help her. Although it is defiantly a lot of work and a mad dash to get the food out on time, she always does and it always taste the best. Christmas at her house is so magical and it will be different for us all when she can no longer host anymore. The story about your grandmas house is something that I can relate to and it is crazy how there is always that special feeling that we associate with our grandparents house.
The feeling of relaxation and happiness is one of my favorite things. When I am relaxed and not stressed out about something is the best thing ever. It gives me the feeling that my life is content and that I can finally sit back to reflect and enjoy life. The feeling of happiness gives me a bundle of joy that I can feel in my chest. When I get really happy, I get happy tears (this happens a lot) and those tears to me are a sign that everything in life will be alright and when things are going wrong in my life I think back and use those tears as a symbol that it will all be okay. Those tears not only bring me that feeling of safety but also the feeling that I need to give those types of tears to others and it’s my goal in life to be there for others and support them. My other favorite thing in life is coming home from a long day to my dog, who is always so anxiously waiting for me to walk in the door. When I sit down on the couch or lay in my bed and cuddle my dog it gives me the feeling that my life is complete and all I need in the world is her. Whenever I am stressed or upset about something she always knows and is there for me. My dog has shown my how to truly love and care for someone, especially at times when they are down. The fact that my dog, who just turned one yesterday has already taught me so much in life truly amazes me.
I really like you sentence that said “half my life I tried to live in a way that if my life makes other peoples’ lives more meaningful, I make my own life more meaningful”. This not only shows the type of person you are but it also shows how much of a difference you make in others lives. This is also a very motivational sentence as it motivates me to want to always make the peoples lives around me the best they can be compared to being a burden on them. It gave me a reminder of that feeling you get after doing something for someone else and the joy that it brings back on you. By lifting someone up, you’re also lifting yourself up and your words is what made me realize that. I wish you the best of wishes and good luck on you travels!
Olivia Kadryna
Dr. Martin,
This topic of discussion is perfect for this time of the year, while everyone’s home for the holidays, seeing people and doing things they don’t usually get to, and having extra time to allow them to think and dwell on certain things.
Reading about your childhood memories and the special moments that have stuck with you to this day has me thinking about my own core memories and my favorite things.
Being from the Northeast, one of my favorite things is the privilege to experience all four seasons in full, my favorite being the colorful season of Autumn. I look forward to seeing the change in the air, in the trees, in the wildlife around me, as well as the change in activities, fashion, and everything that comes with a transition into another chapter. It is always refreshing to long for the cold of the winter and soon enough be longing for the warmth of the summer. Right now, I’m enjoying the seasonal transition into hot chocolate, Christmas movies, cozy sweaters, and snowfall (hopefully soon).
Another favorite thing of mine would have to be my love for movies and how they shape my life. Funny enough, my favorite movie is The Sound of Music. I once watched it three times in one day when I was just a kid; my personal record. This movie has affected my life so much that my family and I ended up visiting Salzburg, Austria, where the movie was filmed and took place, and we got to see a lot of where the film took place, as well as just enjoy the beautiful city and Austrian mountain countryside. Movies always serve me for any mood I’m in. I can always rely on them for comfort, entertainment, sadness, happiness, thrillers, or any feelings I have or want to feel a connection to.
Another favorite thing of mine would be my yellow lab, Quinn. She is the center of my family, a comforting best friend, and an outlet of love. My family is more loving and connected because of our common love for our four legged family member. Personally, my family and I have always looked at our dog as a family member more than a pet, and we treat her as such. She has her own needs, attitudes, dislikes, and a large personality, and her presence add something more to each of our lives and brings us together. She also looks forward to the holiday season and knows she’s going to have presents under the tree.
I could go on and on about my favorite things, but these three are just a couple that are very specific to me and who I am. I definitely find myself more thankful and thoughtful of all my favorite things around the holiday season and I’m only ever reminded of why they’re my favorite.
Dr. Martin,
I enjoyed reading your blog and reading your favorite things and what you asked. My favorite things are reading and photography. Reading was never a favorite thing for me growing up, it was difficult for me to pay attention to books that elementary school teachers were giving because I wasn’t interested in reading about those certain books. Reaching to sixth grade I met my teacher, Ms. Youngren, I credit her to my love for reading now.
The moment I can recall that my love for reading started was when she gave me the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book. Ms. Youngren told me to give it a chance and see how I feel about it after, and if I completed it, I would learn to love reading. At the end of the day, my mom picked my sister and I up and we went home, I started reading and going through the book, I loved the book. Most because there were more pictures than words, but it made me infested. I continued to read the rest of the book and followed to the rest of the series. Thanks to Ms. Youngren, I came to be an English major at Bloomsburg University, dreaming of becoming an author and hopefully changing another child’s perspective of reading into something they love.
Photography happened during my junior of high school. I chose the elective, “Intro to Photography,” with Ms. Najera as the teacher. Going into the class, I was using the class as just another elective to get points to graduation, not thinking I would take it seriously or learn to love it. Ms. Najera became a big influence on me and throughout my junior year into my senior year, she became a good friend and a good teacher. The moment I knew photography was one of my favorite things to do was when we were assigned to photograph other students in the class and friends. My friends and I had to come up with creative ways of photography because we had to use the school’s location for the backgrounds. It opened up my eyes to more creative ways of photography and creative ways of expressing. I will always appreciate Ms. Najera’s kindness and accepting personality because she helped with my creativeness and my ways of expression in photography.
Dr. Martin,
Your post was inspirational and I was able to appreciate your favorite things. As I was reading, I was trying to think of what my favorite things are, and some came easily, while I had to think about others. I would say that my favorite things are reading and Disney.
At a young age, I have been fascinated with reading and I always tried to keep up with my older sister. When we were younger, my mom would come into my bedroom every night and read my sister and I a bedtime story. My sister and I would take turns picking out a book, but my favorite was when she picked out the Judy B. Jones books. Those were her favorite books, and since she was older and I thought the world of her they were also my favorite. My sister is three and a half years older than me, and I always tried to keep up with her when it came to reading but I was never able to. One night, she decided that she didn’t want our mom to read to her anymore and that she could do it herself. That upset me, but of course I tried to follow in her footsteps and I said the same thing. Since then, I read every night before I go into bed. When I go in to read, it allows me to take a breather and relax before I have to wake up the next morning and go to work.
My next favorite thing is Disney and I hope that it will continue to be one of my favorite things. When I was little, I would always watch Disney movies and shows on Disney channel. The first time I went to Walt Disney World, I was three years old and it was the greatest experience of my life. When we went, I was thrilled to be there I feel like I remember that trip like it was yesterday. We went to Disney again when I was in fifth grade, and again I felt like the happiest kid in the world. I got to meet the characters again, we did Chef Mickey and we also watched the firework show in Magic Kingdom. The most recent time we went to Disney was during the Christmas season in 2019. When we went this time, I was worried that the joy it brought me when I was a child was going to disappear because I was older. Thankfully, I was wrong and it just made me realize how childlike my heart is. My hope is that this joy Disney has brought me all these years continues to grow and I hope that I will someday be able to pass that joy on to my own children.
Thank you for reminding me what my favorite things are thank you again for sharing yours!
Abigale Motto
Dr. Martin,
I love your comments and insight about how something becomes your favorite thing. I never really thought about the emotional memories that are behind something that is your favorite thing. I never really thought of that before.
I love the Pillsbury Doughboy. Yes, he has a silly giggle and represents delicious bread but I always had a connection to him. It wasn’t until later when I realized that it reminds me of my family. At my house, we have a Doughboy clock. My grandparents have the same one. Unfortunately, they are both broken now but they used to giggle the famous Pillsbury Doughboy giggle on the hour. Every time we had a new guest over, they would always be confused when they heard that silly giggle and then we would have to explain it to them.
At my grandparent’s house, they also had a little plastic Doughboy toy/doll. When we were younger, my brothers and I would always hide it somewhere around the house before we left for my Grandmom to find later. When my mom and I were at a garage sale a few years ago, we found that same toy. Now we hide him around our house. My brothers and I are 20 and 23 years old and we still hide a this little toy for the others to find. He may be in the refrigerator, in our lunch bags, in the shower, buckled into our cars, who knows. No matter what type of mood we are in, we can’t help it but to smile when we find this silly little guy. We also get a kick out of hiding it for the others to find. I always place him somewhere and then run away giggling like a child knowing that my parents or brothers with shake their head with a smile when they find him in the morning. And let me tell you, sometimes we go to elaborate lengths to hide this little guy just so we can give someone a good laugh. One time I drove to my dad’s work with his spare truck keys that way he was waiting there in his truck for him after a long day. Because of this, the Pillsbury Doughboy represents family to me.
It’s all about making someone else’s day better. It makes me so happy knowing that I was the reason someone smiled today. Life is hard. There is so much going on every single day and if I can make it even the slightest bit better, that makes me happy.
And with that, I leave with you my favorite Pillsbury Doughboy commercial. It’s not even for Pillsbury but it still makes me giggle every time.
Thank you so much for this, and for the video! It made my day.
Dr. Martin
Hello, Dr. Martin!
“My Favorite Things” (December 19, 2023). Discussing Christmas traditions and ways that the author celebrates the Christmas season. The author goes through his favorite parts and what he did as a kid. For example, the author went into detail of all of the food that his grandmother and great-aunt cooked for Christmas dinner. After he explained that before opening gifts, the family got together and sang Christmas carols. After discussing the carols, he talked of his favorite present from childhood in detail and how he and his neighbors used the gift. The blog post then explained the reconnection between someone and himself and how they share many meaningful memories. After careful reflection of Christmas pasts, he explains how all of his memories add up to be grateful for the people around him. He then explains the feelings that he felt when completing his dissertation and the joy he had when they congratulated him as Dr. Martin. After, he explained the event of when he was ordained and how the event went. He explains that although the events that occur within his life are filled with happiness he also explains that community is at the heart of all that has occurred in his life. Towards the end of the blog post, the author expresses the feelings that he has when teaching students in different classes. To end the post, the author summarizes his overall favorite themes and includes a song from the show Glee.
I believe that the purpose of this blog post is to summarize the author’s favorite things and how much of an impact that others have had on him. From describing his familial traditions to his dissertation to becoming a pastor to being a professor, the author ties all of this together by putting words to the ways and emotions that he felt in each event.
I would have to say that the audience of this blog post could be directed towards family members that shared in the memories. The author not only wants to share his favorite memories of childhood and times now, but also wants to use this as a reflection of the moments in his life that brought him great joy. Reading about how others spend their time around the holidays and what their favorite things are is exciting to see potential similarities and differences between each other.
Dr. Martin,
This blog was about favorite traditions about the winter months as well as accomplishments and the emotions that were felt. I have many fun traditions around the winter months as well. I always spend Christmas eve with my grandma, dad, brother, cousins, aunt, and uncle. We always have the same agenda that includes mass, a family picture, dinner, presents, games, and farewells. I always spend the night at my grandma’s. The next morning we have breakfast and open gifts. My most favorite tradition is watching A Christmas Story all day. My aunt who would join us for breakfast would always complain about it being boring and wanting to turn it off. This past Christmas, my aunt was too ill to join us. I found myself missing her crabby attitude.
Thank you for sharing about your accomplishments and the emotions that went with them. I haven’t had that feeling that I can remember but I am excited for the day that I do.
Amelia Lamont
Good evening from my boyfriend’s house. Reflecting back, I am realizing that for almost every blog post I am writing from his house. It has been a busy couple weeks and with him leaving for 2 months, I try to spend as much time with him as I can before he has to leave since I will miss him very dearly.
Alrighty, but enough about my personal troubles, it is time to reflect on what I have just read, or maybe not. Normally I try to respond to something you say in your blogs that I can relate to or have an opinion about. This time instead of you sharing everything, I am going to share something with you, After all, you did start off your post by asking my favorite things.
Many of my favorite things also revolve around memories. One of my fondest memories, and one I will probably never forget, was my last dance. My senior year I did a duo with my partner and it was my favorite duo we had ever done and probably the dance I have loved the most out of all the dances I did. For this duo, we were pirates with swords having a duel. The memory I have is attached to the plastic sword I kept. When we went to dance nationals, the last dance I ever performed was my duo and it felt like the perfect way to end my competing and dance career. It was an amazing moment because we performed the dance perfectly. When the dance was completed, I gave my duo partner the biggest hug and when we went back stage I just broke down crying tears of happiness because of how well we did, but also tears of sadness because my dance career was coming to an end.
Another core memory I have is when my boyfriend came to visit me last summer. He had to leave for a month for his military duty and he drove 2 hours down to my house after he was done work. My core memory for this is not an object, but a place. When he came to visit, we went to the mall for a bit, hung out at my house, went to Dick’s Sporting Goods, and ended up going to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. Every time I go to a Texas Roadhouse now, it reminds me of him and how far we have grown since that day. He drove home that night since he had work early the next morning, but the memory of him driving all that way to see me for a couple hours and taking me out to dinner will forever be a core memory for me. Moments like that where he took the time and effort to drive all the way down just to spend maybe 4 hours with me showed dedication and commitment. Moments like that mean more to me then he will probably ever know.