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Mum’s Morning Coffee


My mum has almost always put the needs of her family before her own. However her morning coffee ritual is something sacred. Having a hot cup of coffee is extremely important to her and she will make an allowance for interruptions only in cases of genuine emergencies. No, doing your daughter’s hair certainly doesn’t qualify as one! 


Her fierce protectiveness of that hot cup of coffee taught me a few life lessons some of which I’m yet to practice. It is something I aspire to do everyday but somehow find it challenging. 


You matter : Before being a wife, daughter, mother or daughter in law, you are your own person. The sense of self needs to be preserved and even a simple act of taking time to drink a hot cuppa contributes towards self preservation. 


Self respect: If something is very important to you, you need to be able to stand up for it. Only if you respect your decision will others follow suit. Self respect is a prerequisite to a healthy mind and body. 


Self care  : As busy moms managing a hundred different things at once, it becomes paramount to look after ourselves. This may take the form of making time for a shower, a healthy meal, a walk or that hot cup of coffee. 


Mental health : In today’s pandemic ridden world where mental health issues are seeing an inevitable rise, engaging in ‘feel good’ activities and building these into our daily routine is becoming important. So identify what cheers you up and do it every day. You owe yourself this much. 


Finally, hot coffee tastes best when it’s actually hot. Neither cold nor reheated. (Ha!). 


As mums we always end up forgetting about ourselves. Someone or something ends up taking precedence. This cycle needs to break and it most definitely must begin with us. 


I will leave you with a verse from David Weatherford’s poem that comes to mind here: 


“Do you run through each day on the fly?

When you ask How are you, do you hear the reply?

When the day is done do you lie in your bed 

With the next hundred chores running through your head?

You’d better slow down.

Don’t dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won’t last”.




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