Three

Most writing teachers encourage their students to have a place to keep a running list of ideas, whether on a phone, in a notebook, or on the backs of envelopes on the kitchen counter.  One day last summer I remember being in a grumpy mood, but unfortunately I had promised to take Jeffrey and a friend to the pool.  I picked up my notebook on the way out the door and after lathering up the boys with sunblock, sat down on a lounge chair and examined my list.  Most of my ideas were for little narratives from events, but nothing struck my fancy.  I started thinking about things most people don't know about me such as my favorite color, my favorite foods, and my favorite number.  Doesn't everyone have a favorite number at some point in life?  Some kids like #1 because they want to be the best at everything.  Others like the #13 because they want to defy the odds and superstition.  Many choose a favorite number because it was on their lucky jersey.  I chose my favorite number when I was so young, I didn't even know why.  Here's my favorite:

I started brainstorming about why in the world I liked this number so much, and as I did, I miraculously started cheering up.  I remembered spending alone time with my Gram as a little girl and feeling incredibly special because we were both the third-born in our families.  When I showed Gram things I liked, she would lean close to my ear and whisper, "I like it too!  It's because we are both threes!"  I remembered how I felt when I realized my parents were also the third-born.  The more I thought about the number three and why I liked it, the more my spirits lifted, and while the boys splashed in the pool, a poem was born. 


Three.

I am a 3.

Mom was a 3.
Dad was a 3.
Gram was a 3.
Three is the perfect number.
It is mother, father, child.
Three is ikebana.
It is the sun, moon, and stars.
It is the best of the seasons—
         the winners of a race.
It is the beginning , middle, and end.
3 is naptime,
and the date that earns a kiss,
a trilogy, a three-peat, and a triple-threat.
It is on your mark, get set, go!
and how many tries it takes to learn something new.
Three is my number.
I am a 3.


Do you have a favorite number?  Do you know WHY it's your favorite number?  Think about it; write about it.  It's all part of the puzzle called YOU.