Welcome to this week’s edition of the Five Minute Friday link-up! I hope you’ve had a wonderful month of July.
If you’re new, learn more about the link-up and how it works here.
This week’s FMF writing prompt is: AFFORD
Setting my timer for five minutes, and . . . GO.
The other morning, my husband woke up and asked me if I wanted to go for a walk with him. I did, but the nagging voice in the back of my mind reasoned, You can’t afford to go for a walk right now. You have to work on your book, get your hours in for your actual job, get groceries, do the laundry, cook supper, and, and, and . . .
But then another part of me thought, But can you afford not to go for a walk?
I know I need the exercise, and I always feel better — physically, mentally, and emotionally — after a walk. But in that moment, the demands of my day outweighed my ability to prioritize time to get outside and move my body.
I said no, and I regretted it later. And that regret has lingered for several days now as more and more opportunities have presented themselves since then. I realized I am frequently faced with the questions: Can I afford to do that? Can I afford not to?
As our lives get busier, we have to decide how and where to spend our time. Each yes is a no to something else.
What is the criteria to determine which option “wins” in the moment?
Do we take the walk in the morning, or no?
STOP.
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Join us with your own five-minute freewrite on the writing prompt, AFFORD, then visit your link-up neighbor to read their post and leave an encouraging comment:
You say you can’t afford it now,
the price is far too dear,
but, friend, can you tell me how
you’ll afford the bitter tear
in memory of chances gone,
in recall of time that fled
to where no intellect nor brawn
can wake the rejected dead?
Please open eyes and quickly harken
to this sorry tale I tell,
for long ago my world did darken
when on my deafened ears there fell
an appeal for time to share
with a friend no longer there.
always choose relationship and walks with one’s hubby over the demands of a day you’ll be better off for it always
visiting from FMF8
So true!