Five Minutes explores five minutes of a life in one hundred words. Five minutes is edited by Susanna Baird, with editorial support from managing editor Maria s. picone, newsletter editor kate meen, and founding reader bobbi lerman, plus our rotating team of guest readers, who you can meet in the latest newsletteR. Five Minutes was founded in October 2020, with the Salem (Mass.)-based writing group Carrot Cake Writers supplying the journal’s first pieces. We’d love to read your five. Submit here

Panic Attack

At David and Faith's wedding, I was heavily pregnant and my blood pressure was dropping. The crowd, the heat, the dancing, the music overwhelmed my senses. I imagined someone asking, “How are you?” and struggling to reply. Should I lie and say “Fine?” or tell the truth: that my heart was starting to pound faster than felt healthy, that I couldn’t breathe, that I was dizzy and confused. I decided to bolt. Outside in the chill October air, I breathed in, dropped my head toward my knees, and cleared the fog. What would I say if I went back inside?

Christi Byerly is passionate about making the world a braver and more loving place. CEO of Awaken Coach Institute, she trains life coaches to listen at depth. Her students join from around the world. www.awakencoaching.com/freecourse

Different Class

City Living