Liz Lamereaux offers a class several times a year called “Here: Five Things.” I did the summer 2023 class in June, and now I’ve signed up for the Fall round, which began yesterday. For 31 days, Liz will offer prompts for making lists of five things. This is my time to be mindful and creative, although sometimes the “creative” part just isn’t there.

Yesterday’s prompt was “Five Things to Say Yes to”. How often do I give myself permission to say yes to things? Seriously! I say yes to doing the laundry, preparing meals, grocery shopping, picking up the house. . . . but none of those things are saying yes to self-care and my own wellness and growth. Oh, I do indulge in my beloved Regency historicals and other books. But sometimes, I neglect the things that would feed my soul and spirit.

So, Here are my “five things to say “YES” to:

1. Being a REAL writer. I have written 3/4 of my first novel.
2. Giving myself grace in my imperfection. Some people adhere to the “birth order” theories of personality development, and like many first-born children, I have a fear of not being perfect in everything I do. I am a bit of an overachiever and a people pleaser, and so I will beat myself up when I am not perfect. This month, I will say “yes” to not being perfect all the time.
3. Being a learner. I am always learning new things: writing, making jewelry, photography. I am curious.
4. Forgiveness. Why is it so hard to forgive myself (see #2 above) and others? To let go of hard feelings and resentment? “Forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive others.” It’s part of the Lord’s Prayer we recite every Sunday (and other times in between). Yet it is hard to do. This month, I will work on that forgiveness.
5. Adventures, even if I have to go by myself. One of the items on my bucket list is to visit the 46 South Carolina State Parks. I don’t have a traveling companion–yet. So I may just have to go by myself. One place I’ve always wanted to go is Huntington Beach and Atalaya. As the weather cools, this may be one of my first excursions.

And catching up to Day 2: Five Things I’m Watching

1. Signs of autumn: falling leaves, red, gold, and brown leaves, the last roses of summer, goldenrod, falling outdoor temperatures
2. Clouds changing shape and mood
3. Old Westerns on TV
4. Notices of new books to read
5. Grandson Sully growing up (he will two years old in seventeen days!)

In a way, this idea of listing five things is like keeping a gratitude list or a list 1000 things (Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts). The idea is to be mindful of the “here and now”–the beauty and sometimes the ugly of the everyday, to be fully present to the life around us.

I am keeping my lists in a “hybrid” bullet journal. Some days it looks like a bullet journal; other days the pages are filled with bits and bobs of the day–photos I like, poems I’ve printed, doodles, momentos, ephemera collected, the occasional candy wrapper (Dove chocolates have some neat quotes), fortunes from fortune cookies, etc. I am not worried about the creative part. Part of giving myself grace to be imperfect is resisting the temptation to look at other people’s bullet journals and judging my efforts as completely inadequate. (I see so many by moms with children, and I wonder if they have hired nannies to care for their children while they produce such creative products. I didn’t have the time or energy when my boys were little!)

So, here’s to a list of some 155 things to notice this month.