You Don't Have to Carry It All Today: A Caregiver's Reminder to Pause, Refill & Begin Again

As we wrap up Season 3 of The Caregiver Cup Podcast, I want to leave you with one simple reminder:

You don't have to carry it all today.

Over the past season, we've talked about burnout, overwhelm, anger, resentment, guilt, negative self-talk, rebuilding your cup, and learning to care for ourselves with greater awareness and compassion.

But today isn't about learning something new.

It's about celebrating how far you've come... and carrying these lessons into whatever caregiving season comes next.

In this heartfelt season finale, we'll reflect on:

✨ The biggest lessons from Season 3
 ✨ Why your cup has been talking to you all along
 ✨ A simple weekly "Cup Check" to help you notice what you need before your cup spills
 ✨ Why healing happens one breath, one step, and one day at a time
 ✨ Encouragement to move forward with grace instead of guilt

If your cup has felt full, empty, overflowing, or even cracked...

this episode is for you.

Because the spill was never proof you failed.

It was information.

It was your mind, body, and heart asking for care.

💛 Your cup was never meant to stay full forever. It was meant to be noticed, cared for, and refilled... again and again.

Transcript

Season Three Finale Welcome

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Well, hello, my friend, and welcome back to another episode of the Caregiver Cup Podcast. It's Kathy here. First and foremost, I'm grateful that you're here today. And today is a little bittersweet for me because we're wrapping up season three of the Caregiver Cup podcast, which is all about when the cup spills. Over the past couple months, we've spent time talking about some of the hardest parts of caregiving. We've talked about burnout and the overwhelm, the anger, the resentment, the guilt, the stories we tell ourselves, and most importantly, how we begin rebuilding our cup after it spills. I have to admit, I'm a little sad to see the season come to an end. Not because we won't keep having these conversations, we'll absolutely have these, but because the season has reminded me just how much all just how much we all need a safe place to talk about the emotions caregiving brings

Dennis Health Update And Home Care

SPEAKER_00 1:06

us. Before we dive in, I wanted to share a quick update because I think a lot of you knew. I think I shared it in last episode on Dennis and in my emails. As many of you know, the past couple weeks he's been on this. Both of us have been on this emotional uh roller coaster. He was admitted um for the hospital, and he was in the hospital for I think four days, five days? Yeah, five days actually. Um and they couldn't figure out what it was, and they were treating him with pneumonia. Well, as of last Thursday, he they officially got the biopsies back, and or we got the biopsies back, and they call this a oh, I can't even remember what the word is, but it's it's a it's an ongoing pneumonia, or it's a uh it's a starting of a pneumonia, but they also found fungus in his blood, and so they're moving pretty fast now. He saw um his oncologist. Well, he met with the pulmonologist and the oncologist. Pulmonologists said it was um a pneumonia and uh fungus in his blood. The oncologist saw that his um blood counts were extremely low. I mean, to the point with like his white blood cell count is 0.01, and so it's as low as it can go, and his red blood cells follow along with this as neutrophils and lymphocytes, all do as well. So he's neutropenic as well. So they got him on antifungal, antibacterial meds. Um, they got him on prednisone for to keep the airways open, and we're waiting on this. Um, and I don't know what the official name of it, I called it uh a white boosting blood cell count injections that he has to go ahead and give himself for the next five days. But we had to go through all of the insurance denials and approvals and um specialty pharmacy. So hopefully um that will come really soon so he can go ahead and do that. And we have to be on watch so that if a fever arrives, that we bring him back. So, really, I'm I'm recording this on the weekend before you were listening. So last weekend, um you're listening to this on Tuesday. We're in kind of in quarantine because we can't have visitors, he can't be um out, but um, but I'm happy to share he is home. We're being treated at home, um, and we have a lot more follow-up visits um coming up to go ahead and ensure everything falls into play. Um so I want to thank you for anybody. Thank all of you for your well-wishes, your emails, your text messages, your voicemail messages, and your willingness to for for the willingness to go ahead and uh share stories. Um, I'm also thankful um because I was able to fit this one in and share honestly and vulnerable my vulnerability with you. Um, and you've entrusted me with some of the hardest moments, and I don't take that lightly. So thank you. In so many ways, this season wasn't just about me sharing though my caregiving stories, it it's be it became our story, and you've been sharing your stories with me as well. So we're a community of caregivers learning from one another, encouraging one another, and reminding each other that we we're never alone. And we as much as we feel this way, we're never

What We Learned When Cups Spill

SPEAKER_00 5:05

alone. One of the things that's encouraged me uh the most this season is hearing how many of you have started noticing your own cup. You're recognizing your burnout sooner, you're naming your emotions instead of pushing from them aside, you're asking for help, you're taking a walk without apologizing for it or feeling guilty. A lot of you are trying therapy, a lot of you are journaling, you're setting healthy boundaries, and you're giving yourself permission to rest. Another thing you're doing is you're choosing yourself, all in all, even if it's only for a few minutes each day. Those may seem like small things, but they actually are big steps. They're signs that you're becoming more of more aware of what you need. And awareness is where change begins. So whether you're you've listened to every single episode of season three or you're just joining us now, I want you to know something. These episodes, we we did 11 of these in season three, um aren't meant to be listened to once and forgotten. Think of season three as a caregiving toolbox. If you're going through a rough season, just make note that they're out there. When your cup spills, come out to these episodes and pick one or two and listen to them. Because some days you need the episode on burnout, others' days you need the reminder that it's okay to be angry. Sometimes you'll come back to overwhelm or guilt or rebuilding your cup because caregiving isn't something we figure out once, it's something we continue learning as our seasons change. And my hope is that whenever you need encouragement, you'll just come back. Grab your cup of coffee or your favorite beverage and let these conversations meet you exactly where you are. So today, I just want to celebrate what we've learned together. I want to celebrate what what um celebrate who you're becoming. And over the past, like I said, 10 episodes before this one, you've just learned about burnout and overwhelm and anger and guilt and rebuilding, or you just didn't learn about these. You're becoming more aware, more compassionate with yourself, more intentional and willing to notice your cup before it spills. And I think that's something worth celebrating. So grab your favorite beverage, put your earbuds on, and whatever you're doing, and let's settle in for this last episode, which I think is a good one. And let's celebrate the small shifts you've made, the awareness you've gained, the courage you've shown, and the ways you continue caring for yourself while caring for that someone you love. Because, my friend, that is something worth celebrating. It is so before we look ahead, I'd love to for us to look back, not to relive the hard moments, but to recognize just how far you've become and how far you've come. Because my friend, growth doesn't always feel dramatic. Sometimes it looks like noticing something a little sooner, responding a little differently, giving yourself a little more grace than you did before. When we started season three, I asked you to begin noticing your cup. I remember I said, don't judge yourself, not fixing it overnight, just noticing it. And over these past 10 episodes, that's exactly what we've been practicing together. We've learned that burnout isn't something to hide. It's not a sign that you failed. It's your mind and body asking for attention. We've learned that anger doesn't make you a bad caregiver. It's often a signal that you've been carrying too much for too long. You've learned that overwhelm doesn't usually arrive overnight. It quietly builds one responsibility, one sleepless night, one appointment, one decision at a time, until eventually our cup spills. We've learned that the stories we tell ourselves matter. Those shoulds, that guilt, that shame, that self-doubt, because sometimes the hardest voice we hear is our own. We've learned that guilt often shows up the moment we've been taking care of ourselves. By taking care of yourself, you know, by taking care of yourself has I'm trying to say, but taking care of yourself has never meant loving your loved ones less. In fact, it's one of the most loving things you can do for both of you. And last week we talked about rebuilding, not because the person you've been you were before caregiving, but becoming the person you need to be today. You're learning today, you're growing today, you're adjusting today, and doing that one small brick at a time. But if there's one lesson, one lesson I hope that stays with you long after the season ends, is this your cup has been talking to you all along. Every emotion, every tear, every moment of exhaustion, every spark of joy, every boundary, every deep breath, every small victory, they've all been trying to tell you something. And this season, we've simply been learning how to listen because awareness and those chain awareness changes everything. When you notice the spill, you respond or you can respond before the cup overflows. When you understand what your cup is telling you, you can begin caring for yourself with the same compassion you give to your loved one freely every day. So I want you to ask, I want to ask you something here. I want to ask it for you. If you, if someone had listened to the very first episode of season three with you and then spent time with you today, what would they notice in you that's different? Maybe life hasn't been easy. Maybe your caregiving responsibilities have changed, but maybe you have. You don't check once. It's something you check over and over and over again because caregiving changes, life changes, and what your cup needs today may be different from what you needed last month. Sometimes your cup feels steady, sometimes it's running low, sometimes it's spilling over, and sometimes it feels cracked after crying or after carrying too much for too long. Let me show you what I mean here by this, or let me tell you.

Four Cup States You Can Notice

SPEAKER_00 14:11

So I have three scenarios here. So a cup's a steady cup doesn't mean life is perfect. It simply means you found a rhythm, right? Maybe your loved one's health is stable right now. You've settled into a routine, you're getting enough sleep most nights. You're remembering to take your medication, you're getting outside for a walk, you're accepting help when it's offered. For me, there have been seasons when Dennis was doing well after treatment. We still had appointments, we still had scans, cancer hadn't disappeared, but life felt manageable. But um, but life felt manageable. My cup wasn't overflowing, it's steady. I have a soundboard and it just fell over right now. And so that's why I paused a little bit. And it's like mic drop a steady cup. I have to just laugh. Sometimes it's like I must have ghosts in here or something. Okay, so we talked about a steady cup. Let's talk about a cup running low. This might be you right now. This is when the warning signs begin showing up. You're tired, you're forgetting things, you cancel plans because you're exhausted. You stop doing the things that normally refill your cup. Maybe you're caring for your loved one while trying to meet deadlines at work, or you're helping aging parents while raising your kids or supporting grandchildren. Nothing feels like a crisis, but you know something feels off. Maybe your patience is short, uh, going is shorter, or your energy is lower, or you and we call this your cup is quietly asking for your attention. Okay. So the first one was a steady cup, the second was a cup running low, and another one. Oh, I'm gonna do more than just three. Another one is a cup spilling over. Okay. This is where so many of us find ourselves. The cup is spilling over, the appointments are multiplying, the phone keeps ringing, or your emails keep pinging, your paperwork piles up, the sleep disappears, you're making decisions all day long. Right now, Dennis has five different specialist follow follow-up appointments along with lab work, follow-up appointments. And well, let me back up. Dennis has five different specialty doctors right now, right? And um along with labs. He went in for labs last week. Now he has to go in for another one this week because of the low. We have follow-up appointments with all of those doctors. He has a C another CT scan in a month. We have he's back to using um like timers on his phone because he's got to take medication three to four times a day, and decisions that seem to come on after one after another. That doesn't even include everyday life. I'm gonna just do the basic stuff, the laundry, the groceries, the bills. Um, maybe you have you're still working, and so you have work deadlines or family responsibilities. It it's rarely just one thing, it's the layers of everything. And before you know it, your cup spills. Is that you? Another one is the cracked cup, and this is one that um we we've talked about, but a cracked cup is different. It often comes after a difficult season, after hospitalization, after hospice, after months or years of caregiving. I know many of you tell tell me you've been doing this for a very long time, or your crack cup is cracked after losing someone you love, or after realizing you have been running on adrenaline for so long that your mind and body finally are saying, I can't keep doing this anymore. A crack cup doesn't mean you're broken, it means you've carried a lot, and just like we've talked about all season, those cracks aren't something to hide. They're simply showing up, showing you where your cup needs a little more care. Here's what I hope by sharing those four. Your cup won't stay in in one place. Some weeks it will feel steady, other weeks it will be running low. There will be seasons when it spills, and there may even be moments when it cracks, and none of these seasons define you, they simply are giving you information. They're your cup, and and they're your cup, and that's the way um it tells you what's going on. This is what I need right now, might be what your cup tells you. And the more often you check with your cup or in with your cup, uh, the sooner you'll recognize what it's trying to tell you. So before we move on, move move on, I'd love to leave you with one simple practice at the start of this episode.

A Simple Weekly Cup Check-In

SPEAKER_00 19:48

In fact, I hope this becomes something you do after season three is done. And so this is where I want, I always try to give you something that you can do or you can reflect on. Um, and I hope this becomes a practice for you. First of all, maybe it's every Sunday evening as you're getting ready for a new week, or maybe it's Monday morning with your first cup of coffee, or maybe it's Friday afternoon as you reflect on your week. The day doesn't matter. What matters is creating a habit of checking in with yourself. And maybe it's you just put it on your mirror, maybe you put a sticky note on your mirror. But what you want to ask yourself is where's my cup today? And it's just a simple ask, and it's something you can reflect on. Is it steady? Is it running low? Is it spilling over? Or feels or or or feeling like it's cracked today. Then once you ask yourself, where's my cup today? Then say, what is my cup trying to tell me? Without judgment, remember, just let it tell you what it's trying to tell you. And then what does my cup need this week? What does my cup need today? What does it need? Maybe it needs more rest, maybe it needs a conversation. Don't shut it down. Don't shut it down because it's telling you something. Remember, you may not be able to fix your cup, and that's okay, but you could maybe sneak in those small steps. Maybe your cup needs a conversation with a friend, and you just miss outside human talk. Maybe it just needs a walk, maybe it needs a boundary, or a nap, or a good laugh, or a quiet morning with your coffee, or maybe it simply needs you to. Acknowledge that you've been caring a lot. Because, my friend, we're so good at checking on everyone else. We are. We are the masters. We do this very well, caregiving. You know, we're checking their medications, their appointments, their symptoms, their needs. What if you checked on yourself with the same care? Not because you're selfish, not because your knee, your needs are more important, because your cup matters too. And when you learn to listen to it, you'll begin responding with more intention, more compassion, and a whole lot more grace. Because that's what the season has really been about. Yeah, you know, and I still like the mirror idea because you can look yourself in the eye. You can look at yourself and see, you know what you look like at the beginning of the day or at the end of the day, and really being honest with yourself that way. Not having a perfect cup, you know, because the season isn't about having a perfect cup, but learning to notice it, to understand it, to care for it and refill it because it spills.

Reflecting On Crisis Without Self-Blame

SPEAKER_00 23:20

It spills. Now that the dust has settled a little, I found myself reflecting on everything Dennis and I went through over the past few weeks. And it's still happening. But when we're when you're in the middle of a crisis, though, like a caregiving crisis, you don't have the luxury of stopping to think, right? You're just you're in survival mode, you're in chaos mode. But once the dust settles, you know, you can then move forward. Um, because when you're in chaos, you're focused on the next decision, the next test, the next doctor, the next medication, the next phone call. You do what caregivers do. You keep going, you advocate, you're problem solving, you adapt, you simply put one foot in front of the other. But once the crisis settles, that's often when the emotions finally catch up with us. And as I look back, I realized my cup didn't just crack because of one difficult day. It cracked because of the uncertainty. And it caught me so off guard. It, I mean, this hospitalization, I didn't see it coming. It kind of just, it was a crash. And then I had I it cracked because of the miscommunication, my fear, the waiting, the lack of answers, the emotional weight of wondering what would happen next. And now that I finally had a little space to breathe, I'm asking myself different questions. Not what did I do wrong? Not I should have handled that better, which it was in my head and I brushed it away. Instead, I'm asking myself, what did this experience teach me? What did you learn? What did I learn? What helped me? What made things harder? And it's something like this, and and and if something like this happens again, what would I do differently? It happens every day to me, every single day to me, where I wish something would have gone differently. Just a simple example. Went to the bank yesterday and did some movement of accounts and stuff like that. And I had to sign on this electrical pad or electronic pad. And the next time, this sounds really, I'm just gonna be honest with you. She just said, I need you to sign this so I could open your account. I need this you to sign this to move my account. She never showed us the computer screen she was on. And I'm like, silly me. If I had to do it over again, I would ask her, can you show me what I'm signing? Because I'm signing on this black little box, but I don't see anything else. And so it happens to me all the time. Instead of beating myself up, I'm like, what did this experience teach me? And if I could do it over again, what would I do differently? Because, my friend, I truly believe this is where the gold is. This is where we grow as caregivers. Not because we've avoided things and we've avoided the hard things, not because we've handled everything differently, but because we're willing to learn from what happened. This is why I do this podcast is to keep sharing examples. And then you share examples back with me and I get more ideas. And when we can continue to share examples, we gain more knowledge and information so that we can do things and learn from everything. And as I reflected on the past couple weeks, I realized like a few things. I learned that I don't have to carry every emotion by myself. I can let people in sooner. I can ask more questions when I'm unsure. I can accept help without feeling like I have to earn it. I can trust that taking care of myself during a crisis actually helps me take care of Dennis and take care of Dennis with better care. And maybe that's what the season was trying to teach me. Not just how to survive another hospitalization, which it taught me that, but how to move through it with a little more awareness, a little more grace, and a little more compassion for myself. You know, if you remember, I was like stuck in the um no-phone zone in the surgery holding room, which they told me to stay in. And he was already in his room, and nobody gave me updates, and I couldn't see him on my phone. Sometimes the things are out of your control. Now, I want to think about your own caregiving. Maybe you're reflecting on a hospitalization or a diagnosis or hospice or a fall or a difficult conversation, or maybe you're simply realizing you've been caring more than you ever admitted, you've you ever have admitted. Whatever your season looks like, I want to encourage you to look back with curiosity instead of criticism. Because reflection isn't about replying, uh, isn't about replaying, I mean, replaying every mistake. It's about discovering the lessons hidden inside of the experience. Remember the gold inside of the experience. Maybe you've learned you're stronger than you thought you were. Maybe you've learned you need more support. Maybe you've learned that saying yes to everything isn't sustainable. Maybe you've learned your body needs rest long before it focuses, before it forces you to stop. Maybe you've learned that your loved one wants you to live your life too. Maybe you've learned that joy can still exist. I I'm gonna add one that's not even in my my notes. Maybe you've learned that your emotions will be tender in a crisis moment because you know who you are, you know. But even in difficult situations, you know, can joy exist? Those lessons matter because every caregiving season leaves us with something. Sometimes it's grief, sometimes it's exhaustion, but if we pause long enough to reflect, it can always leave us with wisdom. And here's what I've come to believe, really come to believe. Experience alone doesn't make us a wiser caregiver. Reflection does. Because when we take time to ask, what did this season teach me, or what did today teach me, we don't just carry the pain forward, we carry the wisdom forward too. And my friend, that wisdom becomes one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves in the next caregiving season. I just think of all of the things. I've learned to be a better advocate. And that wasn't something I went in with. I learned appointment after appointment, and I've learned to read my loved one and their comprehension. I've learned how to, you know, how to, you know, care for myself while my husband is in patient or whatever it would be. You learn as you go. Don't just ask yourself, how did I get through this? Ask yourself, what did this season teach me that I want to carry into the next season of my caregiving? Because that's how we continue rebuilding our cup, one lesson at a time. It's so easy to look at all of the yuck, the negative, the the suckiest of suckiest stuff. It's so easy to look at that when we look back, but we also need to look at what were the obstacles that I survived through. And, you know, so we have to look at the good, the bad, and the ugly and with wisdom and acceptance, and then saying, what have I learned from it? Yeah, I've learned, you know, when I'm tired, that's when the emotion just goes crazy. Or when there's unexpected issues because I'm such a structured person, and I want, you know, I want them to run this test and this test and this test and this test. And when are they gonna be ready? And what are we gonna do now? And when there's uncertainty, I'm terrible at that. I get so anxious and frustrated at all of that. And I, you know, I know that. I know that. So I have to go ahead and and work through that as I go. So that's wisdom. So if there's one thing I hope you take away again from this season, it's this you don't have to carry it all today. You don't have to carry it all today. As caregivers, I think one of the hardest things we do is to look too far ahead. We worry about what's going to happen next week or next month, the next test result, the next hospitalization, the next decline, the next crisis, the next thing we don't even know about yet. And before we realize it, we're carrying tomorrow's worries on top of today's responsibilities. You know, it's no wonder we feel overwhelmed.

One Step Thinking For Hard Days

SPEAKER_00 33:46

This reminds me of when I used to run half marathons, and I'm gonna kind of throw this one out for you. Um, over the years, when I was when I was in my late 40s and early 50s, I ran nine half marathons, and I can't even count the number of 5Ks and 10ks I ran, but I I love to run. And a half marathon is 13.1 miles, and you know something, um, you you know something um pretty quickly uh when you run. If you or I realize pretty quickly what I've learned is if all you think about is the finish line, when you start out on that race and and you're in the start starting gate that you're in, and you have all your fancy clothes on and um your your bib is on and you got your music all planned. And if you just focus on the finish line, you're going to have a miserable race. Cause in your mind, you're like, I 13.1, I just want to get to the finish line. You know, you can envision that finish line, but you it it if you just focus on how much I have to run, it feels impossible, especially when you're on mile three. So I've learned something. I stopped focusing on how long the race was, those 13.1 miles. Instead, I'd focus on the next mile marker instead. I'd focus on the um the next stop sign, the next water station. I just look a little ways ahead. Sometimes the next song playing in my earbud. And honestly, sometimes it was simply the next step because as you run, you know, your body is saying, Oh, I'm tired, or I gotta go uphill, or for me, sometimes I have to go to the bathroom, or my foot is rubbing in my shoe, or something, or you feel a tweak or something. And if you continue to, you know, think that way, I had to focus on, well, let's just get to the next stop sign or let's get to the next, you know, water station, that kind of thing. It's because that's what I could control, not 13, not the finish line, just the next step. And I think caregiving is very similar because if you focus in on how long this might last, what might happen next year, every possible future outcome, it can become overwhelming very quickly. Instead, come back to just today, come back to this moment, come back to what you actually know right now. Ask yourself, what is my next step right now? Not my next hundred steps, not next month, not next year. Now I know you have to plan, but when it comes to when it comes to your cup, just my next step. Maybe it's making a phone call, maybe it's drinking a glass of wine, maybe it's resting, maybe it's asking for help, maybe it's taking a walk, maybe it's simply taking a breath. Because my friend, caregiving isn't lived one year at a time, it's lived one day at a time, one conversation at a time, one appointment at a time, one choice at a time, and one breath at a time. In my head, I'm laughing because I have to keep reminding myself that because I'm such a big planner and I'm I'm always thinking ahead, trying to be proactive because that's what I've been taught in my corporate job. But when it comes to caregiving, sometimes we just need to think about what's the afternoon gonna hold today. And if things feel especially heavy right now, I want you to remember this. You do not have to carry the entire road. You only need to carry the step you're standing in right now. And if all you can manage today is one deep breath, let that be enough. If all you can do is make one phone call and you have um teen of them to do, make the one phone call. Let that be enough for you today. If all you can do is get through your day because you're just exhausted, let that be enough. Celebrate that because tomorrow you're gonna take another step, and that day after, another one. So remember, one breath, one step, one day, whatever it is, that's enough for you today, based on your your your cup, based on what your cup says to you.

Build A Rhythm Before The Spill

SPEAKER_00 39:00

As we wrap up season three, I'm sad. That's one thing I hope you can continue doing. Keep checking in on your cup, not just when life falls apart, not just when you're burnt out, but before your cup spills or starts to spill. Because here's what I've learned it's much easier to refill a cup than getting low, or that's getting low, than to rebuild one that's completely emptied or shattered. So I want to encourage you to create a simple check-in that works for you, whatever that would be. There isn't one right way to do it. Like I said, maybe it's a set a Saturday a Sunday evening before the next week begins, and you ask yourself, what's my what uh where's my cup today? Maybe you set a reminder on your phone and you do it uh on a certain day, like every Friday afternoon. Maybe it's the first day of every month. Maybe it's during your morning coffee. Maybe you're a journaler, maybe that's just part of the top of your page that you do. Maybe it's after church, or maybe you have a trusted friend who checks in with you. And instead of asking you, how are you doing, ask them to simply ask, What's your what's your cup this week, or how's your cup this week? And give them ideas and tell them this is how I'm I'm looking at myself. Because it's easy for someone to just say, How are you? You could say, okay. But no, when they ask you, how's your cup this week? that gives the conversation or keeps the conversation going. I love this question because it invites honestly, not perfection. The goal isn't to wait until you're completely overwhelmed, the goal is to notice the small changes before they begin to become big ones, to recognize you that you're tired or I'm caring more than usual, or I need a break, I need to ask for help, or I need to reconnect with what fills me. But because when you're when you check in regularly with yourself, the opportunity to respond earlier, and that can change everything because it'll change you. Will it take intention? Absolutely. Will you forget sometimes? Probably. I still do, but every time you come back, every time you pause, every time you ask yourself, where's my cup today? you're building a healthier, caregiving rhythm, a healthier, caregiving Charlotte, a healthier, caregiving Susie. You put it, put your name in there. And my friend, aren't you worth a few minutes each week? You spend so much of your life checking in on everyone else. You deserve to check in with yourself. You don't have to wait until your cup is overflowing to care for yourself. A small check-in today can prevent a much bigger spill tomorrow. Now, you you may not be able to solve everything, but you can say, well, tomorrow, you know, this is what happened today, and I was running and running and running, and my my cup is empty. And you may figure out that you never stopped and even had lunch. So tomorrow you're going to be intentional. Maybe you're going to make something ahead of time so that you have it. Or, you know, maybe you're going to fill the water because you feel exhausted and you realize that I didn't drink any water yesterday. Whatever it would be, you spend so much of your life checking in on everything else or everyone else. You deserve to check in with yourself. So until next time, this is the end of the episode. So keep checking in on yourself. Keep noticing the spill. Keep choosing one small step. And remember, your cup will never, your cup was never meant to stay full forever. And by the way, that's

Text Your Weekly Cup Status

SPEAKER_00 43:20

my question for you today. I want you to text me and tell me that the exact question of how's your cup this week? I want you to tell me. Tell me what it is. So I can respond to you. So that that would this will be your weekly check-in. Your, like I said, your cup will never is never meant to be full forever. It's meant to be noticed. It's meant to be cared for and refilled again and again because every season of caregiving asks something different of us. Some seasons will stretch us, some seasons will break our hearts, some seasons will leave us feeling cracked. But none of these seasons define who we are. They simply remind us that we need care too. So if your cup feels full today, I want you to be grateful. If it feels empty, I want you to give yourself grace. If it's overflowing, pause and notice the spill. And if it's cracked, don't throw it away. Repair it because those cracks aren't proof you failed. They're proof you've carried a lot. And every time you choose to care for yourself, you're strengthening your cup for whatever comes next. So thank you for spending the season with me. I cannot believe that we have gone through 11 episodes in season three. Um, thank you for trusting me with your stories and listening to them and thinking through. And thank you for allowing me to be part, a small part of your caregiving season.

Summer Pause And Season Four Tease

SPEAKER_00 45:03

Um I'll be taking a short pause this summer to refill my cup and spend time with my family and care for Dennis and prepare something special for season four. As a matter of fact, um on July 3rd is my youngest grandson's fifth birthday. So I think I have to go bowling with him, bumper bowling with him for his birthday party. So I'm excited for that. But I'm gonna use that month or this middle of the summer here to really think about what I can put into season four that's going to help you even more. But I don't, I, I, I don't want you to go anywhere. That's what I want to say. Make sure you're following the Caregiver Cup podcast because I'm still gonna be checking in with, I'm gonna call these short bonus episodes or shorty episodes, sharing encouragement in my weekly emails and giving you a few sneak peeks of what's coming next. So I'll let you know. I might even be asking you some questions to help me with some of my creations, but just know that I'm going to be uh I say I'm gonna be taking a sabbatical for a month. It never happens because I have so much passion for this. But until then, I want you to think about taking a deep breath. One breath, take one step, take one day at a time. Because my friends, you didn't break. You responded, and you are doing meaningful, important work. And I'll see you I'll see you soon. And until we meet next time, take care of yourself because you matter. Talk to you soon. Bye for now.