Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

I have a sloppy habit of using the door to my office (aka the guest room) as a bulletin board. I’ve done this for years and have no intention of changing. From time to time, I look at the door and reminisce. Other times, I’m reminded of something I need to do.

In the middle of the panels is a small black sign that reads: “Life is too important to be taken seriously.” Under that is a card my son sent when we moved into this new home almost two years ago, and under that is a postcard of a windmill in The Netherlands that my other son sent when he went there on sabbatical in 2010. Each of these pieces of paper reminds me of important people in my life.

Then there’s the telephone number of the local hospital for when I need to make appointments for various tests: mammograms, blood work, X-rays. And the instructions for making a really cool crocheted scarf that I hope to master one day soon. And the dimensions for a sofa table we’re looking for. And a one hundred dollar bill.

This last is part of Earl’s family’s Christmas celebration. Each year three family members receive one hundred dollars that they are to do something for someone else anonymously. At our holiday get-together the following year the three people explain what they did. This year it’s my turn.

I haven’t decided yet, but seeing that bill on my bulletin board door keeps me thinking and wondering. How can I maximize those dollars and possibly garner a greater return for the recipient? How can I choose among all the organizations and individuals that could use the money? How can I make sure it is well spent?

There are other items on my bulletin board door: the phone number for a local hardware store, instructions on how to clean the flooring in the garage, and my former mother-in-law’s obituary. And, thankfully, there is still plenty of room left for memories and reminders. But when the door is full, I think I’ll start on the sliding closet doors next to it.

You can’t be content with a little bulletin board if it’s a mirror of your life in progress.