Hello, beautiful souls,
Last week, we talked about leaving a little room. This week, I'd like to ask a slightly different question: What is filling you back up?
Sometimes we're so accustomed to noticing what drains us that we forget to notice what restores us. We know when we're tired. We know when we're overstimulated. We know when our calendar has become too full.
But what about the little things that quietly give something back... a conversation that makes you laugh, the first sip of coffee in the morning, a flower blooming where you didn't expect it, a favorite song, a good night's sleep, or a prayer that settles something inside you. Replenishment isn't always dramatic. Sometimes it's simply paying attention to what makes your soul feel a little more alive.
A gentle practice for today
Notice what fills you.
For the next few days, pay attention to the tiny moments that leave you feeling a little lighter, calmer, or more yourself. When you notice one, stop for just a moment. Don't rush past it. Name it. "This fills me."
Maybe it's standing in the sunshine. Maybe it's your favorite lotion after a shower. Maybe it's laughing with your kids. Maybe it's listening to a song you haven't heard in years. Maybe it's ten quiet minutes with a book. You don't have to turn it into a routine. Just notice. Sometimes the first step toward replenishment is discovering where your little wells already are.
π§οΈ What I'm Doing This Week
Yesterday we had a pretty awful storm, and water came into the basement. So this week has suddenly acquired a very unglamorous replenishment activity: cleaning.
There's something humbling about looking at a mess you absolutely did not plan to make and realizing, Well... I guess this is what we're doing today.
We're also getting this year's homeschool things together, so there are boxes and papers and supplies appearing everywhere. It isn't exactly the peaceful August week I might have imagined.
But I'm trying to remember that replenishment doesn't mean creating a life where nothing difficult happens. It means finding little things that help us keep going when difficult things do happen:
A cup of coffee while we clean.
A good song playing in the background.
Laughing when something goes sideways.
Taking a break before I really need one.
And noticing the fact that, underneath all the mess, there is still a life I love.
Maybe that's part of replenishment too: Noticing what is still good.
Until next Monday,
Carrie
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