Five Things: Week 1

Do you remember a while back when I said something about posting only once a week, get used to it, don't pressure me, leave me alone, oh my God, what do you want?!?!

Yeah, well, here I am again, and it hasn't even been a week.

And I'm here because I've been thinking. Two times a week might not be that bad. Especially because I had a grand idea.

Let me meander my way to the idea.

Quite a few years ago Oprah promoted something called a gratitude journal. She suggested that people write down every day five things for which they are grateful. I thought this was a wonderful idea. I still think it's a wonderful idea.

But because I can't just do something like I'm told, I had to make it slightly different. So instead of a gratitude journal, I started making a list of five things I love about the day. Most of you probably know that this is something I do. I've been writing my five things every day for almost fifteen years. Each night I sit in bed, pull out my calendar, ponder the good things that happened throughout the day, and write down the things I loved. I can probably count on one hand the number of days I've missed; I know of two for sure. On days that are wonderful and glorious, there are many exclamation points in my list. On days that are bad, "being able to brush my teeth" or "bed" show up.

The items that make the list are important; they're what make up this little life of mine. There's a lot of repetition in the lists, but that doesn't bother me. I hope I never stop loving a good meal, the playfulness of my cat, the people who accompany me on the journey, the books I'm reading.

But as important as the items are, the act of listing them is equally important. I am a sporadic pray-er. Although I am getting better about sitting down with words of thanksgiving, praise, lament, trust, and joy, it is not consistent. The five things, however, are consistent. They are my daily call to prayer, my daily acknowledgment that God shows up in the people, places, things, and actions of this world. Taking time to ponder them and to write them down forces me to pause and think about the delight I take in life—even if it's a muted delight some days.

So I've decided to write out a list of five things I love about the week. For week 1:
1. Jazz.
2. The excitement of my friends as they move into a new home.
3. My performance review for work is done for the year, and I still have a job.
4. Lingering summer days.
5. Walks outside—by myself, with coworkers, with friends. Just walks.

Feel free to share your own five things. Or, if you don't want to share them here, I hope you'll take some time and come up with five things you love about this day.

Peace and happy night.