This is what a flash mob of writers looks like! <–Click to Tweet this
Where a beautiful crowd spends five minutes every Friday all writing on the same topic and then sharing ’em over here.
How to Join:
Want to know how Five Minute Friday got started and how to participate? All the details are here.
Featured Five Minute Friday:
And every week I’ll pick a post that caught my eye and share it down there in my side bar – see where it says “Featured Five Minute Friday”? Yea -that could be you! Hop on over and visit some folk who make fireworks in just five minutes. They inspire me.
What They’re Saying:
I also have some Five Minute Friday stories from participants I love to share each week – I can never get over the community that has grown up over a five minute writing exercise.
This one’s from Leigh Kay:
“These Fridays – these one-word pushes into the recesses of our minds – this joining of hands, keyboards and hearts among much else….they enliven me. It awoke something that I try, without realizing, to keep deeply discarded. You see, I constantly feel as if I have no voice worth using. That I have nothing new to speak. No wisdom yet to be heard. My perspective, tiredly ordinary. My life, mundanely passing… In 5 minutes rediscover why He built me so. Why words move mountains of walls within me. Why prose stirs my very breath from stagnant ignoring. I deny portions of myself so often. It is writing that brings me back to my identity in Him. “
You all are the special sauce. Got a FMF story you want to share with us? Email me.
Now, set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
Oh and Ahem, if you would take pity and turn off comment verification, it would make leaving some love on your post that much easier for folks!
OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on:::
Stay…
GO
We promised we’d be there for his first grade Thanksgiving lunch. And we were. I nearly forgot. I’ve been nearly forgetting about it all week. But I arrived before Peter and we met in the entrance to the school like two kids on a date. In the cafeteria. Over mashed potatoes and gravy. Jackson smiles and his glasses glow. How does that boy generate so much beauty. It’s like his insides light up his outsides and we all are pulled into his orbit. Seven and still not embarrassed to hold both of us by hand – kiss me on the lips – throw his arms in wild greeting around my waist. The cafeteria lady smiles. The checkout lady grins. And this boy of ours can’t sit close enough to us one parent on each side. The little boy across from me is crying. Quietly watching us as big tears creak down his face. It’s awful. I want to get up and move my chair closer to his when he tells the table he misses his mom. All these parents and kids and one boy alone. We close ranks. We ask him what’s on his sandwich. We admire his Tranformers lunch box. We try to throw our love at him and hope that some of it will stick. And Jackson finishes Pete’s mashed potatoes and Morgan finishes his sentences and we all laugh our way around to dry eyes. All this good and wonder that is part of being seven. Until it’s time to line up and Jack asks us to stay. To walk him back to class. And we do.
STOP
OK, show us what you got! {Subscribers, you can just click here to come over and play along}
First, I have to tell you how powerful and beautiful these photos are at Five-Minute Friday Live–of us all gathered up, side by side. I am so grateful for that night, Lisa-Jo. And now, your words about your Jackson and that precious boy who you gathered up, loving on him–thank you, as it reminds me of the lasting impact of simple gestures, of love. Bless you this weekend!
I know, right – love us all in the lights of our computer screens :)
Jackson is a blessed boy, and I am so glad that your family was able to scoop up and love on the boy without his parents….felt for him.
I adore you! This motherhood gig…it is something else…..something wonderful…..something hard…..I love that you were able to love on that other little boy.
Oh I’m so so thankful for your heart and encouragement. I am not nor have I ever been known as a shy person, but seeing my words up in all it’s unfiltered truth…I’m shy. But I’m not sorry. I know if I’m to be obedient, I cannot bury my coins and expect Him to be happy when I say “look, I kept them hidden to keep them safe”. Because that is NOT what He wants nor requires of me. If I do that, I miss the mark. Tragically.
Thank you for helping me find my voice each time. Over again. I’m always learning. This prompt was a twinge of more unveiling. Ahhh it’s not so easy all the time, but I can’t deny how marvelous it feels to leave it all in His hands. Thank you sister.
To write is to be brave – good on you for doing it! Grateful to be able to share some of your courage here.
I love your stories about your children, you tell them with such tenderness, I’m always weeping here with the familiarity of these same Mom feelings, and similar experiences. Love being in the trenches with you. XO
Yes, motherhood is a universal story, isn’t it?
I had the same thing happen yesterday. One little boy out of the class of 8 or so with no parent there. He was at our table and we just stepped in when he spilled his milk and kept him in our conversation. Your words were so touching. Thanks for sharing those photos, too. I may ask if I can have copies. That was such a special night. :)
It’s heartbreaking, isn’t it? Because I always wonder if Jackson has maybe been that little boy on occasion? And I trust some other parent was there to love on him for me.
Love this weekly exercise you’ve created for us word nuts. And having seen your personality through words on a screen, I am not surprised your dear boy is not ashamed to love you with abandon. I think that is how you love your readers.
Laura, gosh, thank you. That is the loveliest compliment – to be compared to my son. And “word nuts” – yes exactly :)
God puts us in positions to fill the gap. I have tears of joy in my eyes at what that boy with no parent there to share in the feast must have felt when you stood in the gap for him. What a light you shine for Christ. I loved this! Thank you for Five Minute Friday. I have been so blessed by it.
Got to admit that I had to just sit with these photos, seeing these women all completely absorbed in their screens, the beautiful sepia tones, the quiet eeriness of the whole scene …
I guess I’m hoping that within minutes they are all connecting again, face to face, voice to voice, laughing and interacting with the beautiful flesh and blood souls sitting right next to them …
Yes it’s a dichotomy, isn’t it? But I promise, they were. There was so much real life love and joy and eye to eye conversation.
As a teacher…hearing their war stories…I have had many students like this…and my heart breaks a little each time. I want to love them all up…and let them leave me each day feeling special…that is my main mission in teaching. Loved your post.
I love that when I come here on Friday see the word, and start to ponder as I rush back over to my New Post blank place, I never, ever know where it will lead! Thank you for hosting 5 minutes of discovery here each week!
I’m not sure I’ve reached a stage yet in my personal growth where I could walk back into a school cafeteria. I definitely haven’t reached the stage where I could eat cafeteria mashed potatoes. You not only ate the potatoes, you probably changed a little boy’s life (or two) in the process. I’m inspired as always to step outside myself. Thanks Lisa Jo!
Oh how hard that is for children when Mom and/or Dad can’t make it and there are no grandparents or aunts or uncles to fill the gap. Praise God you were there for that little guy and for your own precious one. Have a wonderful weekend :)
Oh how sweet to remember that FMF party….thanks for setting that up.
I cried for that wee boy wanting his mom. That’s what we do though isn’t it we try to make it all right for those who are left out, alone. If only more people would do that for the adultswho are crying who are alone. Lovely post. Thankyou.
This is very cool! Never heard of this before but I love it. I’m pressed for time today but can’t wait til’ next Friday to participate. Now, that I know something fun like this exists in cyberspace :).
I’m a new participant. Loving it already!
So beautiful. Your hearts, his heart! I have no doubt that some of your love stuck and that little boy had a wonderful lunch, too.
Stay is God’s heart for us too. To stay in His presence, tarry, linger – Abide. When we abide with Him, it’s easier for us to stay with others.
You model it well for those boys at the table, and for us.
Oh, my heart. What a beautiful picture you painted. And my heart aches for that sweet boy. Both those sweet boys.
I love these photos!
I’m so glad that you saw, really saw, that little guy missing his mom. There are others who wouldn’t have noticed. God sat you right down across from him. And you were present to the moment.
Goodness, this post needs a “Warning: Handful of tissues will be needed” heading above it. What a touching story.
Hi,
I just posted my first Five Minute Friday contribution and I see I read it wrong. I really thought the topic was Stay/Go. Now I realize that you were just telling us to begin. :) I also didn’t put in the image I wanted to because I misread the instructions. Oh well, at least I stayed though I would really like to take my link off and resend it but don’t know if that is possible.
Now to go and read what other people have written…an encouragement
Heather
No worries – I love those kinds of earnest errors – it’s all in the spirit of writing without worrying :)
Oh, bust my heart open with this. Thanks for the “stay’ prompt. Needed it this week!
Loved the post on Stay, I’m sorry to say I never made it to any of the school luncheons – my kids were notorious for forgetting those reminder slips the teachers handed out!
Also, LOVED the photo with all the ladies gathered, especially the mom with her little baby safe in his snuggly straps. I long for a group of ladies to do this with in person! Or for one of these fantastic writing conferences… that would be great too! Thanks for all your writing encouragement and the FABULOUS Five Minute Fridays!!!
Sue
(Mom, wife, new blogger, constant list-maker, writer in training)