Month: July 2025

Be your own cup of tea

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

Original Fridgesays quote.

As I was putting this blog together, I was thinking about quotes such as ‘fill your cup’ and empowering quotes about authenticity. Then I made a cup of tea and unlocked the joy of the universe. Simplicity

It started a few weeks ago when I made a cuppa and added half a teaspoon of honey – it tasted like joy and gave me the energetic lift we all sometimes need late afternoon. It’s not necessary the done thing and usually I don’t have any sugar in my tea but I’ve found every now and then it elevates my tea to a new height.

In fact today we had a slow Sunday with no plans. The Mr and I left the boy at home cleaning his room (listening to an eclectic collection of music) and did a food shop – after that I was free of any plans and ‘pottered’ around the house and realised that the simplicity of my joy. I repotted one of my favourite house plants and walked the dog, then I came home made a cuppa and read my book. I then interacted with our menagerie of reptiles, baked and if you haven’t fallen asleep yet, here comes the learning part…I loved my day. Nothing complicated, nothing expensive (if you forget the food shop) and I felt rejuvenated.

Sometimes activities that fill us with joy don’t involve other people or going too far from home. I also realised that all of the things I enjoyed (except for the tea) involved caring. However, there was no demand and the care was given in my own time frame because I enjoyed it rather than because I felt obliged or was on someone else’s time frame. Having people or creatures demand is exhausting…my examples include ‘what’s for dinner?’ and ‘Can a friend come around?’

Make a list of the activities you enjoy. You may realise they are simple and accessible, If so, carve out time in your week to do them more often. I always feel better when I’ve walked the dog and been out in nature, even if the weather wasn’t ideal. If you are writing a list and it includes ‘cruises, golf, sailing, sky diving’ I hope you find the budget so that you can access them regularly. We all need to fill our cup, some people like to drink out of rude mugs (my collection is inspiring) and some prefer China tea cups decorated in gold. Authenticity matters and life is too short for a cup of tea from an ugly mug.

In the end we all become stories

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

Quote Anon

Without doubt my least favourite thing is people. As a race, we are greedy, thoughtless and selfish towards our planet and those that we live amongst. However, my favourite thing to collect are peoples stories. I realised that my brain is like a library full of events and scenarios that people have shared and I have interpreted. If my brain was a library then my favourite section would be the kindness aisle; stories that contain acts of kindness or random moments of joy, thoughtful exchanges, feeling deeply and unexpected.

Interpretation is personal, I’ve taught the same lesson to thirty teens and know they’ve each walked out of the lesson taking with them a variation on the learning objective. You could tell me a story but how I interpret it and the themes or feelings I feel are all categorised in my personal library. Many times have I read a book and remember moments hidden amongst the main theme that had a huge impact on me, when I attend my book club we always discuss a range of concepts and topics, some of which I didn’t think about when reading the book? I guess that’s the joy in sharing.

Eulogies at funerals always seem unfair and bias to the person who has pulled them together. I recently attended a funeral of a person I worked with, but the eulogy was framed (of course it was) around her being a loving and dedicated mother…that wasn’t the version of her that I knew, the story I told myself of who she was at work. As the eulogy was read I found it baffling and doubted I had known her. However, then I realised how wonderful that my version of her was mine alone.

Perhaps you read this blog because I ask you too (thanks Mum), because you know me beyond the screen, because you like my writing style, topics, rants and thoughts…I hope it’s because I make you feel good. I hope it’s because you feel a little better when you click off the page. I hope the pages of my blog can sometime be found in the kindness aisle of your internal library.

In the end we all become stories, take time to reflect on the stories that make you feel good, wander the aisles of your library and relish the memories you have made that feel a little magical. Should you ever step into the horror section, know it’s a brief aisle, an aisle you can leave and perhaps take a moment to think about where you might sit in other peoples libraries, perhaps you sit in the kindness section of a complete stranger due to an act that had a profound effect on them but is unmemorable to you.

Listen to the birds not the news

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

Anon

Half way through the year and I can feel myself needing a pause. Not a holiday, or a distraction. Just time to revisit my goals and pause the pace of life. What did I want to achieve? Do those things still resonate? What is it that I truly desire? All large questions that can’t always be given the time during the hustle and bustle of the working week.

As a result, this morning I took myself off with a morning brew and sat in the sun. I listened to the birds – they had much to say and I let my mind wander. I can’t say I ‘thought’ as much as allowed the fleeting moments to pass.

I ended up grabbing a pad and pen and revisiting some of the larger questions mentioned earlier. I didn’t get caught up in the why or the how, I just let my pen float and the bird song did the rest.

After twenty minutes I felt rejuvenated, focused and ready to play the game of life. We had family plans and so I jumped back into family life. Later that evening we sat in the garden to eat dinner (a rare but always welcome occasion in the UK) and the bird song reoccurred. It was then that I realised what a luxury it was to pause life and how essential it was to listen to the birds, to listen to your inter voice and to close of the world’s distraction.

We don’t always need to escape but it’s essential that we pause. Sometimes routines can enhance our lives but at other times they can become so habitual that they no longer serve the current version of ourselves. I can see why writers often take themselves out of their homes to a cafe or park, a change of scenery or a brief break from our normal schedule can make all the difference in our lives. Whilst today I feel like the bird song background choir helped me process my vision, I’ve also reflected on my morning routine and how I can enhance my outcomes. Should you be blessed with a morning of sun, grab a drink and some paper/pen, it might just make your morning and it could change your life.