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

Schiphol

My mom, Kathryn, Karin, and I stand clinging to one another, inching along through security at Schiphol. Tears stream down the face of the woman behind us. She repeats softly, “I don’t know why I’m crying! I’m just crying because you’re crying.” Hands shaking, I place my carry-on, my jacket, and my Kindle in a bin. My mom does not let go. I’m about to pass through the metal detector, heading for France. The others will catch a US flight later. My mom’s foot scoots a duffel bag. Among her clothes is the small, wooden box holding my dad’s ashes.

Christi Byerly, who’s lived in six countries on three continents, runs Awaken Coaching. Her clients come from all over the globe. Find Christi on Twitter @ChristiByerly and on Instagram @byerlychristi.

Sunbabies

Out of Focus