So, the other day I forgot to fill my cup. I woke up early because I needed to get to work before usual business hours. But, of course, as mothers we never really wake up and get ready. We wake up, and for those of us with children in the home and or a spouse, if we’re calculated, we’ve carved out a few minutes for ourselves before everyone else awakes. And, sometimes we can carve out that time and life happens, children happen, spouses happen and what you thought you were going to do becomes a blur, a distant memory. That was me the other day.
I had it all planned out, I was going to spend time in prayer and the word which is how I like to start my day. It centers and grounds me. Puts life into perspective. Gives me strength for the day’s journey and clarity of thought and mind. Some prefer yoga or meditation and I like a little yoga in my life too, it’s just not my first choice. As soon as I finish brushing my teeth and washing my face the dog busts through the bathroom door and I know she has to use the potty. We walk down stairs to the sliding door and she runs out to do what she needs to do. I wait for her to finish and then she wants to eat. We have two dogs so I feed both dogs. I get sidetracked because the dog food is adjacent to the laundry room and I decide to put a load of clothes in the wash. I’m now in the kitchen and begin wiping counters, and putting items away and before I know it, fifteen, thirty minutes have passed. Now, I’m rushing back to my room to get ready for work.
I don’t prefer to shower, dress, and walk out of the house. I need time to do my hair and makeup if I choose to wear any. The good thing is my hairstylist has it so I can pretty much run a comb through my hair and head out the door and that’s all I had time to do (shower, dress, run a comb through my hair and leave) so it worked out for me. I grab all of my things, load the car and I forgot my lunch. I hurry back into the house, throw some food into a bag, grab my cup of tea, and go to the car. I put everything in its place and sit in the driver’s seat, I grab my cup of tea and there is no water in the cup. I literally forgot to fill my cup.
It got me thinking (I’ve been accused of being a thinker). How many times as moms do we unintentionally forget to fill our cups. We’ve heard the saying you can’t pour from empty basins. It’s true. How can we pour out what we don’t have in us to give? Better yet, how do we make filling our cups a priority? Because when mama’s happy the entire house is happy, right? When momma is healed and whole, so are our children, families. I believe we as moms set the tone, temperature for our homes. I know when I’m running on E it’s another story for me personally. And, I’m not saying we don’t have bad days, aren’t allowed to have bad days or be human beings. I am saying that for me personally, I have to slow down and get what I need spiritually, emotionally and mentally. I’m working on physically because that is important and also plays a huge role in how we move about the world. My point is, I don’t just wake up and walk in being the person I want to be and put out into the atmosphere, I have to work at it and surrender daily and anyone who says different is lying. None of us are perfect. We are all becoming. Today, I challenge you to be intentional about making sure your cup gets filled.
You better believe I went back into my house, poured some hot water in that cup then drove to work because I needed that tea and my music on the way there, not when I arrived. It’s one of the ways I fill my cup. Some other ways are being in community with other women, moms, traveling, reading, writing, laughing. What fills your cup?
Full-Time Woman 