One Drop at a Time
I’m grateful for each drop that I can give…
A pond begins as a puddle, which begins as a drop. As one drop after another falls into the hole, eventually it fills to the top.
A glass of water fills to the brim first with one drop, then another, until enough drops collect to fill the glass to the top.
One drop at a time.
Last summer as I was walking after a rainstorm, I saw this leaf on the sidewalk. To me it was a beautiful sight, and it made me ponder about the idea of one drop at a time. I often get very overwhelmed with all of the events and tasks in my life. It’s hard to figure out how all those things can fit into the space that I have. The problem is that I want to fill that space right now. I want to accomplish everything that my mind wants to do, and fill the glass as quickly as possible. But does it really matter when or how fast the glass gets filled, or does it matter more that it is simply happening, one drop at a time?
The important thing is to make sure that as I contribute each drop, that I give myself credit for those things, instead of tearing myself down for all the other drops I haven’t poured in. (If you haven’t read this blog post about Drops of Awesome, I suggest that you read it.)
With a chronic illness, I’m realizing more and more that my lists and expectations of myself need to change. I can’t expect to fill my glass all in one day, and in fact it’s actually worse for me if I try to do that. My cup may take a very long time to fill, and to even think about filling a pond is far too overwhelming. So instead of putting that kind of expectation on myself, I can focus on smaller things, like the leaf; filling it one drop at a time each day with the things that are most important for me. Important for my body, my mind, my spirit and my connections with others. Those are the most important things, and maybe if I first take care of those things, I might be able to add a few more drops of the other things here and there.
One drop. Look carefully at the picture. Notice how one drop fills so much of the space the leaf has. What drop can I add today that will make a difference? Maybe it’s sitting and reading a book with my child, or making a phone call to someone who is struggling to let them know I care. Maybe it’s taking a nap so that I can have enough energy to make dinner for my family and spend some time with them around the table. I may not be able to give enough drops to fill a cup or a pond, but maybe I can give a few of the most important drops; enough to fill a leaf.. one drop at a time!