affection and lewis

Recently I decided that it was time to pull a C. S. Lewis book off the shelf and read it. Lewis never fails to amaze me. So, this time around it is "The Four Loves". It is excellent. He starts out by talking about affection; something I haven't ever really thought about. He describes it as a bit like "liking" something or somebody, but it is deeper. It is stronger and older. He says, "But Affection has its own criteria. Its objects have to be familiar. We can sometimes point to the very day and hour when we fell in love or began a new friendship. I doubt if we ever catch Affection beginning." I've felt affection so many times, but I've never really know how to put my finger on it or what to call it. A bit before this quote, he calls it "warm comfortableness". Yes. I know what he is talking about: that deep, warm love. He goes on to say, "Affection almost slinks or seep through our lives. It lives with humble, un-dress, private things; soft slippers...the thump of a sleepy dog's tail on the kitchen floor, the sound of a sewing-machine, a gollywog left on the lawn." Affection is a humble, almost shy and awkward, love. It is an old love, yet somehow I tend to forget the things I am especially affectionate towards:

-the old, ugly quilt on my bed
-the smell of fresh cut grass and alfalfa
-crickets in august
-shrek bowls
-the way my mom is continually trying to keep the front porch clean
-the way front porch is somehow never clean
-old sweaters
-how our 5th step always lets out a little sigh
-my dad's silly sense of humour
-how all my socks seem to always have holes in them
-my puppy's orange eyes and playfulness
-waking up to snow
-butter on hot pancakes
-my mom's tender heart
-a cup of tea with friends
-clothes just out of the dryer
-the glint in my old people's eyes when I smile at them
-they way my aunt stands on her toes to hug me
-how our sliding glass door doesn't lock
-sundays
-baylee's spazzy personality and talent
-jordan's smile and the way she teases
-aaron's machoness and willingness
-floor matts
-old, water-crumpled magazines
-the smell of Autumn candles
-dad coming home from work
-crawling into bed after a long day
-coming home from school and knowing somebody is waiting for you
-cakes in the oven
-turning on all the lights when it gets dark out
-my birthday
-the constant battle with hank over my sweet peas
-hearing the gate open
-sweet baby smiles
-long hugs from my mom
-the smell of coffee in the morning
-the way my dad is always there to tell me he loves me when I leave for school

Lewis mentions that change is the arch enemy of this type of affection. I understand that. I don't want things to change; I always want somebody to be waiting for me after school, I always want to smell coffee in the morning. It won't always be this way. I know that. I think for now though, it is okay to dwell just a little longer on the things that I love so well because of that--because they won't always be there.