I hate these things and I love these things. Sometimes they make me feel silly, sometimes they make me feel vulnerable and sometimes I just think they’re dumb. Is this really a good use of time? No. Well, maybe…in the sense that they do always take me on a pleasant little walk down memory lane.

Top Three, Songs that take you back to a specific time

• Two Princes
• The Rain King
• Friends in Low Places

Top Three, Childhood Crushes

• Michael J. Fox, or more specifically Alex P. Keaton
• Johnny Depp
• And, basically, every boy in every John Hughes film.

Top Three, Younger You Fashion Horrors

• long johns under cutoff jeans
• jacket with fringe
• my PE uniforms

Top Three, Remember Where You Were

• Challenger explosion
• 9/11
• OJ verdict

Top Three, Sports

• I love the Olympics, and particularly learning the stories of Olympians from all around the world.

• I no longer plan meal time and bed time and family life around sports, and the tone in my house is no longer determined by some team of people losing or winning.

• To televised sports, I say: Bye Felicia.

Top Three, Books that changed my thinking

• The Great House of God by Max Lucado
• Open Heart by Elie Wiesel
• Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer

Top Three, Music go-tos

• Michael Jackson
• Elton John
• Dave Matthews Band

Top Three, Movies you’ll stop on and watch even though it’s with commercials

• Dirty Dancing
• Smokey and the Bandit
• 27 Dresses
• Sixteen Candles

Yes, I know that’s four, and there are probably fourteen others.

Top Three, Go-To Late Night Snack

• spoonful of creamy peanut butter (and I sometimes double dip)
• donuts
• cold Hershey bar

Top Three, Sensory Comfort

• smell of goodies baking
• feel of thick fuzzy socks on cold Saturdays at home
• sound of my children laughing