We love our little cups of coffee.
Recent research shows that coffee is good for you. It’s supposed to reduce risk of diabetes, Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s and liver cancer. Coffee is an excellent source of antioxidants, it fights depression and I couldn’t be happier with the news.
Nothing beats taking time off for a cup of rich, dark brew.
And I’d like to tell you how much it means to an overworked and underpaid mummy.
As most of you might already know, Sandra is a Stay-Home Mum (SHM). She’s got a full day of tending to the children’s needs and wants. Apart from fitting in home therapy sessions she is constantly brainstorming activities for two boys just to keep them sane and structured. When the boys rebel unjustly against her hard work she struggles to steer and correct them without succumbing to rage.
She deals with noise pollution from tumbling Lego blocks, the boys’ musical ventures with whatever make-shift instruments they could find, and broken telephone recordings of relentless “Mummy, mummy, mummy, mummy, mummy…”
Housework is an endless, recurring chore because you mop the floor to a gloss at one moment and one playful little scamp comes dribbling over it the next. Batches of laundry sit around waiting to be washed, hung, and folded, ALL at the same time. The day grows short, and she starts planning and preparing meals for the whole family. When that is done, she ekes out time with her kids and hubby before bedtime.
When the kids fall ill, it’s double, triple whammy.
Multiply all that by 365 days and you’ll know that the SHM is not for the faint-hearted.
By now you should know what special significance a coffee break holds in the heart of the SHM.
It’s Sandra’s “ME” time and a much-needed boost for the day. It’s all but a moment of hard-earned peace that allows her to unwind, recharge, think, stay sane, reflect, or simply be as stoned as she wants to.
And she’d be immensely happy with just that. We’ve talked about it and to her it’s not about the long-haul vacations or getaways to exotic destinations on a white beach with a tropical drink melting in your hand. It’s about noticing the little pleasures in life, finding the time for them, and getting the best out of them.
It’s about enjoying a good twenty-minute break with quietude and some real good coffee.
And through this I’ve observed what selfless giving means. Most guys need their hobbies, their passions, their pursuits. It’s amazing how Sandra could make do with just a coffee break.
How we would’ve missed such resilience and strength if we didn’t look hard enough. And I almost did if not for our seven years of marriage.
Yes, it’s my little tribute to Sandra because this February marks the seventh year since the day we said “I do”, and we’re forging on, one step at a time, towards where our Lord might lead us.
Kudos also to all you Stay-Home Mums out there.
Because without you we wouldn’t be.
Because after all, we – brothers, husbands, fathers, men…had once been little, puckish boys.
This article didn’t begin as such. It began with Sandra penning her thoughts during her coffee break. I ended up expanding on it. So I’ll leave you with her snapshot of, well…a coffee break.
*
Coffee break is a short 20 minutes at most, but I make the minutes count. I unwind and relish in the ritual of brewing my own coffee on our coffee machine without disturbance, and attempting coffee art (without much success so far) on a bed of milk froth.
And, yes, I’m writing this as I’m having my slice of heaven in a cup. The sensation of warm coffee coursing down my throat is pure bliss.
The minutes pass and I hear the cry of a grumpy child freshly-woken from his nap.
I drain the cup and set it in the sink.
I draw a breath and I’m charged.
Ready…set… GO!
Photo credit: Linh H. Nguyen via Foter.com