An overcast April morning on this 13th day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. It’s 4 ℃. Most of the snow is gone from the yard. It is 15.2°C in the greenhouse. I’m feeling a bit like puddling on the floor. I don’t. This is one of those pulling myself up by the bootstraps morning. I picture myself whooshing up from the floor, standing stall and ready to tackle the day.
I chased the mop quickly across the kitchen floor, and dusted a few very dusty surfaces. The soup is souping in the Instant Pot. Now I am flexing my fingers on the keyboard. It doesn’t always make me feel better to journal. Sometimes I feel worse. But I suppose it’s better than holding it all inside. And so I continue to write my morning pages, write a post here, do my daily teacup drawings for the #100dayproject and try for a photo for April Love 2025. I’ve been succeeding most days. I don’t aim for perfection. I aim for easy and simple.
It is the showing up that is the challenge. I’ve adopted Regina Brett’s motto for many years now. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. If I don’t show up for my life, who will?
onethousandandtwo 
Lily, you packed a lot in this post! I, too, have mornings when I don’t want to get up, at least in a timely way. But I know I’ll feel better after being up for an hour, and I’ll feel better better after breakfast. So I get up. I usually lay out my clothes for the next day, before I go to bed. In the morning, I encourage me that I get to wear that outfit, after I get up and get going. Your technique of picturing yourself rising powerfully is great! The temperatures you have there are only memories to me, from stays in Maine and Denver. I suppose you have very different clothing than we do in Phoenix? Please keep painting tea. I feel comforted by your drawings/paintings. Your last line is powerful: If I don’t show up for my life, who will? We should all post that on our mirrors.
Thank you, Kebba for your thoughtful and kind comment. Today was a bit tough but all better now. We went to a bookstore and had chocolate cake.
Lily, your story could be my story. There are days when I wonder why I’m getting out of bed. Sometimes, the only thing motivating me to get out of bed is knowing that the cat needs to be fed. But I believe that life is good, even when it doesn’t feel that way. Lately, it has been a struggle, and my emotions have been all over the place.
Despite all that, there’s the 100-day art project. I always feel more joyful after doing that. It makes me feel creative and full of life. Art has that effect, even during the darkest of times, and, in my opinion, right now qualifies as that.
I am sending you hugs. Enjoy the tea. It is a cup of happiness.
with love from alice
Hugs to you, too, Alice. It’s good to have our art. Cats are good for hugs, too. I would except the person I live with does not like cats. Maybe another dog some day.
I feel the same way as you at times Lily. But if I don’t get up and do it, no one will. I love your tea cup, that’s my favorite beverage and when I’m feeling sluggish, a cup of tea always picks me up.
Thanks, Martha.
Showing up for life and keeping things easy and simple sounds like good advice, and God knows sometimes doing so is hard enough without aiming for the stars, right?