What Are Your Fifteen Things?

One of the twenty-one small things I suggested we should probably start doing again was reading. Even one chapter every two days is enough.

Today, I decided to follow my own advice.

I picked up a book from my shelf, opened it at a random page, and started reading. The book was What I Know for Sure by Oprah Winfrey. The page I opened was page 99, titled Gratitude.

On that page, Oprah shares fifteen things she loves. As I read through her list, something interesting happened. I stopped reading about her life and started thinking about my own.

One of the things she mentioned was making blueberry lemon pancakes on Sunday mornings. That immediately took me back to when my son was younger. We had our own ritual. Every Saturday morning, I would make Nigella Lawson's pancakes. I used to make blueberry jam as well, but mine was made with orange instead of lemon. We would spend slow mornings together, watching cartoons and enjoying the beginning of the weekend. We did that for years.

Another thing Oprah mentioned was a rainy day and a fire in the fireplace. I smiled when I read that because it reminded me of the flat where we used to live. We had a fireplace there and I loved using it during winter, especially around Christmas. After moving into this house, we no longer had a fireplace, so we created a different tradition. During the colder months, we would light a small, safe fire in the garden. We would toast marshmallows and, being Portuguese, we would often add sardines and make sardine sandwiches. Looking back, those were beautiful moments.

Then Oprah mentioned books.

I have always loved books. At one point I owned more than one hundred of them. When we moved house, I donated many of them, but books have always been part of my life. Many were children's books in both English and Portuguese for my son. Others were dictionaries, language books and educational books. We even had books in German and Chinese because my son decided, at different points in his life, that he wanted to learn those languages.

I also owned many colouring books. In fact, I still love colouring books today. If I want to stay away from screens and truly relax, I can spend hours colouring. I admire artists enormously. I love paintings, illustrations, tattoos, and creative work. While I enjoy building furniture, organising spaces, cooking, and writing, I cannot draw to save my life. So I leave the art to the people who do it beautifully and enjoy colouring instead.

Another item on Oprah's list was sleeping until her body wanted to wake up.

I laughed when I read that because sleep is one of my favourite things. I genuinely enjoy sleeping. If my body needs rest, I allow it to rest whenever possible. During busy weeks, I often save that extra rest for Saturday mornings. I love waking slowly, looking out of my bedroom window, watching the trees move, and listening to the birds outside.

Then there was silence.

This may have been my favourite part of the list.

I love silence.

I love sitting in my garden late at night with a blanket and a cup of tea, looking up at the sky. Because I live in a city, I often have to wait until very late before the sky becomes dark enough for me to enjoy it properly. I love quiet walks. I love organising donations in silence. In fact, whenever I donate clothes, household items, or other belongings, I do it quietly. I like to think about the person who might receive those items. I donate with love and hope they will bring someone else comfort or joy.

The final item on Oprah's list was gratitude.

That is something I practice every day, although perhaps not in the organised way she describes. For me, gratitude often begins with a simple thought when I wake up.

• Thank you for another day.

• Thank you for allowing me to wake up.

• Thank you for allowing me to see my son healthy and well.

• Thank you for giving us another opportunity to live this day.

By the time I reached the end of page 99, I realised something important.

Reading is not always about learning something new.

Sometimes reading reminds us of things we already knew but had forgotten.

One page took me through years of memories, traditions, habits, people, and moments that shaped my life.

So today, I would like to ask you a simple question.

What are your fifteen things?

What are the small moments, habits, memories, and experiences that bring you joy, peace, gratitude, or comfort?

Perhaps it is time to sit down and make your own list.