Listing, Again

It’s been a bit of a heavy week here at the mermaid cottage. My attempt to lighten it up, and provide a crowd favorite, is this latest in my series of lists.

Five Things I Got from My Mom

An introduction to the wonders of the library

An autoimmune skin condition

A reactive distaste for status symbols and materialism

A love of cooking for others

A determination to do better

Five Things I Got from My Dad

A sense of humor

A hyper-aroused nervous system

Ninety-eight percent of my genes

My love of order

Generosity

Five Things I Got from My Daughter

Tolerance

Fashion help

Curiosity

An appreciation for all things creative

Inspiration, especially to persevere

Five Things I’m Looking Forward to Resuming Without Pain

(because I know the day is coming…)

Picking up my shadow, who is getting less confident in his ability to jump up

Getting in and out of a car

Carrying and unpacking boxes

Jumping up out of my chair

Waking up

Five Things I’m Planning to Do Locally to “Fill the Well”

Visit an art museum and its sculpture garden

Visit a botanical garden

Visit a marine life conservation center

Do an art walk

Walk a nature trail

Five Things That Might Be on My Mind When I Wake Up “On the Wrong Side of the Bed”

A scary dream

My son’s ongoing estrangement from me and his sister

My aches and pains

My fear of developing dementia and not knowing it

Too much or too little to do in the day ahead

Five Things on My Mind Before I Go to Sleep

What I’m grateful for

What promises to myself I’ve kept

What could have gone better and how

What’s most important for the next day

Who I want to ask the Universe to bless

Five Reasons I Still Love One-on-One Interaction with Loved Ones Despite Becoming a Hermit

Body language

Shared meals

Touch

Shared experiences (art and travel come to mind)

Contagious laughter

Five Things I’ll Miss Terribly When the CWP Moves Out

Her razor-sharp wit and delightful sense of the absurd

Her singing while playing the guitar

Her provision of outstanding spa services

Her patient explanation of various cultural, academic, and practical concepts

Our reunions in the evening for dinner and TV

Five Things That Will Take the Sting Out a Little

No longer having to be the Lieutenant of the Lights

Her relocation just a mile away

Being able to let my neat-freak flag fly

Not having to accommodate someone’s diametrically opposed schedule

Having an extra room to do with as I please

Five Things I’m Considering for That Extra Room

A treadmill or walking pad

A daybed for overflow guests

A work area for crafts

A display board for photos and/or work in progress

A mini library for guests

Five Potential Causes of My Accidental Death

Decapitation by the washer lid

Choking on my own saliva (this happens more often that you’d think)

Massive head trauma after falling in my closet trying to avoid the dog licking my legs while I’m dressing

Blood loss from the car door severing my leg while I’m alone

Being crushed by palm branches falling from a great height (I actually narrowly escaped this one in my first few months here)

Five Things I’d Like to Be Remembered for When I’m Gone

Making people laugh

Making people think

Helping people

Resilience

My heart

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Thanks for reading! Please share your own lists!