Five Minute Friday – COLLECT
Every Friday, I join a special group of writers to write for FIVE MINUTES on a one-word prompt. No editing. No revising. Just WRITE. This week, the word is COLLECT. Go!
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// Sometimes, I hated Saturdays. Yup, it’s true.
Not all of Saturday; just the mornings, really. Of course, Saturdays were wonderful cuz there was no school, and we could sleep in like every other teenager around.
But Saturdays were “chore days.” And before we could truly have any fun, my brother and I had to finish our chores. His was easy―vacuuming. Mine was cleaning bathrooms (unpleasant, but tolerable) and
D U S T I N G
Ugh. How could one word evoke such distaste?
Don’t get me wrong. Our house wasn’t messy at all, and my mom is a very neat person, but she’s sentimental about a LOT of things. Significant souvenirs from memorable holidays. Artwork made by kids and grandkids. Special gifts from special friends. Important stuff. Pretty stuff.
… but stuff that required DUSTING by me.
So when I became an adult and had a house of my own, I became somewhat of a minimalist. I love clean lines and surfaces that only require a quick wipe with a damp cloth. All of my fancy things are behind glass doors in pretty cabinets.
Minimal stuff… minimal dusting.
But what I DO collect are relationships.
Connections with people.
Visits over coffee.
Meals with special friends.
Touching hearts over significant events. //
To celebrate these connections, we started a tradition here in South Africa (my take on the traditional guest book). Hanging by our front door are welcome signs that say in Afrikaans, “Welkom Vriende” or “Welkom Liefde.”
The rule is, “The first time you have a meal with us, or simply a visit over coffee, you have to sign your name on our collection of FRIENDS.”
Over the years, we’ve had different signs for each house we’ve lived in. And once the sign gets full, we simply get a new one.
It’s such a lovely reminder each time we open our front door that we are truly wealthy.
People connections are the BEST collections! Click To Tweet
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// indicate the start and stop of the timer.
Just a reminder that the Write 31 Days Challenge starts tomorrow! Watch this space!
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For more information on Five Minute Friday, check out Kate Motaung’s site!
What a fun tradition and way to collect and preserve memories. My Mum also had lots of random things to dust too, and I’m trying the minimalist approach!
Hi, Lizzy! Thanks so much for stopping by. I’m not quite minimalist in it’s truest form, but I do love simple and spacious.
It’s so nice to meet another Australian. Our eldest girl is living in Sydney this year and attending Hillsong College. Most days, it just feels tooooo far away, but modern technology really is amazing, isn’t it?
Have a great weekend!
Love this friend! What a great thing to collect – friendships!
I’m doing the 31 Days of Free Writes in October as well! I’ll have to stop by when I can to see how you are coming along.
Blessings! 🙂
Oh yay, friends! Have I told you today how glad I am that we met? You are such a gift!
I’ll keep my eye out for you in the line up. 🙂
Love this, Shauna! Relationships are indeed the best ‘collectables’.
And one can start at home; there is a Vietnamese saying that one should treat one’s spouse as an honoured guest.
#1 at FMF this week.
http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2016/09/your-dying-spouse-213-lethal-lessons-fmf.html
Hey, Andrew. What a great quote! An honoured guest… I wonder how many marriages would be saved by that simple advice alone.
I’m so glad to see you here today! Will head to #1 again to read yours. 🙂
Oh, I hate dusting too. That’s why usually when people ask if I collect anything I say “dust”. Not because I love it. Because I hate getting rid of it. But friends, yes, they are collectible! And I have many. Thank you for your wonderful words.
Haha, oh good, I’m not alone. I actually enjoy cleaning, just not the fine little figurines and such.
Thanks so much for popping by, Mary. Always good to have you join the conversation. 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend!
That is a lovely tradition, and I agree, friendships are a great thing to collect. Connections with people are what really matter.
Thanks, Lesley! I’m so glad you stopped by! I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other over the next month. So looking forward to it!
Have a great weekend!