The Five F's: My Motivations

What will I pack for lunch at work? I gather healthful foods in the morning: Nuts? Dark chocolate? A salad with croutons? Perhaps organic crackers with cheese or maybe a nice sandwich - tuna, egg salad, or a BLT. Driving home, I plan dinner. Shall it be Mexican? Chinese? Italian? Shall I simply prepare a burger with homemade fries or a more elaborate casserole? A beautiful squash soup or creamy broccoli with cheese? The possibilities are endless. Mentally I calculate my day’s calories. Will there be room for dessert? My first love since childhood was FOOD. After work, I go to the gym or the store. Then I return home to enjoy the rest of my day. For sure, I’ll write Emails to my friends and glance at Facebook and spend time on Soup. Writing a poem or two is frosting on the cake. I spend time with hubbie when he comes home and we eat our meal and then watch television. I might take a nice leisurely hot bath, then hope for easy sleep and sweet dreams. I cannot live without my simple pleasures, for one of my main motivations in life is FUN. During the week I’m always in contact with fellow poets and friends because for me, they are an extension of family. They make life even more worth living. I look forward to occasional lunch or movie dates with friends in town. I cannot live without the intimacy of strong FRIENDSHIPS. And then there is FAMILY. I phone my sisters who live far away. I talk to my mother once a week as well. My fondest memories are from childhood. What lovely bonds I formed with kin. So having a yearly reunion to look forward to really keeps me going in life. I wish I had more of those! With the children of my daughter, who lives nearby, I share stories of my life. They seem to enjoy my tales. I relish keeping memories alive with these stories as I preserve traditions and celebrate life. With family and friends, I can totally be myself. We laugh, chat, snack, play games, and go out together. As I see it, food always makes a good time better and family includes friendship, so for me, food, fun, friendships and family fit very well together. Finally I live with FAITH in God. I believe in being true to the way God made me, and I cherish the blessings of my Heavenly Father. I know without a doubt that there is an afterlife, and I need to be fearless about death, for when death arrives, I believe I will be in a much better place, free from the stress and sufferings of mortality; I will be reunited with loved ones who passed away before me and I bet I will comprehend things so much better on the other side. Of course, there are many other things that motivate me to go on living in this world of strife. The beauties of nature, for example, but for sure. . . FOOD, FUN, FRIENDSHIPS, FAMILY and FAITH - my FIVE F’s! April 5, 2022 For What Keeps Me Going Poetry Contest Sponsor: Cecelia Hopkins-Drewer