The White Mug, Over-Sized and Simple in Appearance

I received a mug for Christmas from one of my students. It is an over-sized mug, it holds a nice amount of any comforting beverage. It is not short and wide, but rather an average size in height, of a great mug, just with a larger circumference. It is white on the outside, violet on the inside and around the rim is a layer of gold paint. You know when you find your favorite cup, bowl or spoon. You love it so much that even if it is dirty and in the dish washer or sink, you will not imbibe, until you wash it? Its comforting: the smoothness of the paint, the shape of the handle. It is your go to tableware.

This mug has all the equipage of a favorite utensil. Its handle is just a little wider than most handles. Its shape curves farther out from the base of the mug, so it looks bigger than it is. So as I raise it up to drink out of it, it feels more sturdy. The gold paint on the rim is also on the bottom of the tankard. It is the shade of gold, that glistens, just a wee bit, so as to appear regal, without pretentiousness. The violet, although just inside the flask, reaches the top edge, just beneath the glistening, aurelian ledge. It is a perfect merge of ivory and pink.

The best part of this mug is the simple saying, written in gold cursive lettering, "Wake up and be Awesome." Adorned with a violet and gold rainbow above it. I use this mug every day. It sits on my nightstand with water at night. I drink my morning Cup of Joe from its hefty edge, feeling the warmth on my fingers as I say my daily mantra. It has become a part of my waking up and going to sleep ritual. It somehow has become important to me, this mug.

It came to me filled with Andes Mints tied up in cellophane and a bow. I love Andes Mints and alas those were gone very quickly after I received them, this simple, yet meaningful coffee cup has made its way into my life. I see the phrase as I open my eyes in the morning, reminding me to pause and before I fully commit to the world, embrace my awesomeness. I am not a morning person so on many occasions, this beautiful, shiny, over-sized cup is an admonition of my mindfulness.

This white mug, over-sized and simple in appearance, is uncomplicated in exterior but deeply meaningful in its beauty of a simple turn of phrase: "Wake up and be Awesome." This vessel recognizes the need for a gesture of recognition. It does not try to be overly emotional or corny. It just lures the drinker, me, into a state of contentment. This mug, right now sits upon my night-stand, half full of last nights water. Rather than put it in the dishwasher, I am about to wash it by hand. So it can take its throne, beside my chamber of sleep. This way, when I am turning out the light, heading off to slumber, I know I will awake and be awesome. Even if I am the only one who knows it.

What is you favorite mug?

The Sunday Scaries: The Shape of a Weekend

As humans we spend our days and nights in regimented measurement. We do not have an inch of control over the pace or direction of time. Yet, we organize our lives around seconds, minutes, hours and decades. However fleeting, we have ownership of only two aspects, of the essence of chronology- what we choose to do with it and how we choose remember it. When the expectation of the unknown creeps in and our Friday settles evaporate, the Sunday Scaries trickle in. These feelings of uneasiness may seem ridiculous to some, but studies have shown that many people get this sense of uncertainty and anxiety after a long break but just as many pick up this vibe mid-day Sunday before the work week begins.

Every new week brings with it new challenges. We enter having many balls up in the air, trying to keep them afloat, amidst the motion and movement, of intervals, junctures and allotments. As one drops, we try to toss it back up avoiding a disruption, in our balancing act. But this can only continue for so long. We know we can not do everything, we can only schedule and regiment our tasks and goals the best we can. This anticipation, this anxiety, seeps in on a Sunday afternoon, as we are relaxing with family or hanging out with friends. Its a nudge, a whisper "It begins soon." As fast as we travel, we are inevitably flanked, forced into a lane of chronology.

A Monday morning is like a shiny new toy and the Sunday Scaries are the packaging. We have to rip it off, to expose the action figure, the bendable and flexible version of ourselves. Whether we see ourselves as Marvel Legends, Power Rangers or Transformers- it is the fear that the packaging won't open, that causes us the dread of a new work week. So most of us have to prepare ourselves for the struggle. Arm ourselves with scissors. This groundwork, rather than peeking in early Monday morning, tends to rear its ugly head during our personal time. Cutting short our period of personal leisure. So, if we know they are coming, how can we battle the Sunday Scaries?

The best way is to reflect and regroup Friday before we settle. Before we exit the doors of education and walk across the parking lot to recreation, we must frame our Monday. Write down our agenda on a sticky note and stick it to our computer screen. Use sharpie, make it bold and permanent. Even if it is flexible, take a stance- dig in to a plan so that in your mind before you turn off the light for the weekend repose, you know unequivocally that you are secure in a well-developed proposal. Make sure you have a frame of reference- the sticky note like a snap shot of success. so, when you turn the key in the ignition, your mind has a memory, a life-line. This way, on Sunday evening when the whisper gets louder, "Are you prepared?" you can shrug it off with a grin and say, "Yes I am because I locked it down before my Friday Settle.

Part 1: Friday Settles

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