Bingo Fill: Read a Book

This poem fills the "Read a Book" square on the 3x3 Solo Public Card for the Valentines Bingo Fest.

Beloved pastime

First comes the selection:
Fantasy or romance?
Comedy or horror?
Fact or fiction?

Next come the practicalities:
Set aside the time,
grab a few snacks,
get comfy and cozy.

Finally, the best part:
Open the cover,
read the first chapter,
get lost in the story until you finally reach

the end.

Bingo Fill: Write Down Your Successes

This poem fills the "Write Down Your Successes" square on the 3x3 Solo Public Card for the Valentines Bingo Fest.

Keeping Track

Keeping track of the good things can help.
So if you earn a degree of learn a new language or master a new skill,
write it down.

Having a record of your successes -
the first time nailing a new dish, or perfecting a tricky crochet pattern,
or de-escalating a fraught family situation -
can help when the failures seem to be stacking up.

A list of accomplishments is concrete,
something you can point to on a bad day and say,
"See, I did those things. I will achieve more things again soon."
A reminder that failure is not permanent,
and can indeed be a stepping stone to learning the path to success.

Bingo Fill: Give Yourself a Gift

This poem fills the "Give Yourself a Gift" square on the 3x3 Solo Public Card for the Valentines Bingo Fest.

You

Who says gifts are only for others?
There is no reason you can't treat yourself;
after all, you are just as important and special as anyone else.

So the next time a birthday or a holiday comes around,
or even just because,
buy yourself a gift and enjoy the treat,
knowing it will be exactly what you want.

Bingo Fill: Forgive Yourself

This poem fills the "Forgive Yourself" square on the 3x3 Solo Public Card for the Valentines Bingo Fest.

Forgiveness

Forgiving doesn't mean forgetting.
It is acknowledging the mistake made, taking note of what went wrong and vowing to do better.
It is letting go of the shame and guilt for causing so much pain,
and showing kindness and compassion to yourself as you would to others.

We all make mistakes, and by the heavens do some of them hurt,
but forgiving yourself is the first step to healing,
a promise to learn and move forward and not repeat the past,
a chance to start anew and work on being the person you know you can be.

Bingo Fill: Set Boundaries

This poem fills the "Set Boundaries square on the 3x3 Solo Public Card for the Valentines Bingo Fest.

Drawing Lines

Boundaries can be tricky, ephemeral things.
Everyone's will look different but all are valid.
For some the line might be here, for others, there.
For one this topic is off limits, for another, that one instead.

Finding that line between "enough" and "too much" can be hard,
but the soul searching is worth it, to be able to say,
"This is okay, but this isn't," and to have enough conviction
in your needs and desires to defend your lines.

So go ahead, set those boundaries,
draw the lines that will keep you, and others, safe,
and never feel bad if yours come out different than anybody else's.