Thankful Thursday ~ Filling Your Bucket

On this Thankful Thursday, I was remembering how last week, the youngest SON of Thunder turned nine!

Birthdays are always a momentous occasion around here, entrenched in tradition.  We do many of the things my parents did and I hope the SONs will carry on those traditions with our grand kids.

Your birthday starts with being awakened at the crack of dawn to a serenade of “Happy Birthday” with a waffle or cupcake and candle too. Blowing out the candle is followed by lots of cheers and usually the Birthday Fairy had arrived the night before to bring something special by your bedside.  Rumor has it I look somewhat like the Fairy, but I’m not sure.

Tradition also has it that I have always gone to the SON’s school to celebrate with their favorite birthday dessert and then read their favorite book to their class.  That’s the tradition. But when the eldest SON went to middle school I was told tradition or not, we don’t celebrate birthdays at school.  Now that middle SON has also enter middle school, he too misses out.  Some rites of passage are not always easy.

So only the youngest SON will still be able to carry on the Carlin-Winters tradition.  However,  we are now in third grade and things have also changed a bit there too.

With an exchange of emails to our new teacher, it was all set I could come. But we must eat cupcakes in the lunchroom and then I could come back to the class to read a short story. All good.

Birthdays are very special.  Life is busy and hectic, but at least once a year we can stop and take the time to call, send a note or at the very, very least, send a text and let someone know they matter!  They are special and a gift in and of themselves.

All day last Thursday, I was certain I was to take each child a special note.  I tried to dismiss the thought because we were very busy. I was afraid it might be seen as overkill to the youngest SON, but I love to share with others just how special they are.  Then Friday morning rolled around and that nagging feeling would not go away.  I had to write the notes.  So I did.

Short and sweet, “You are a special gift ~Be blessed!  I drew a heart and cross on it and signed each of them – all 23.  We all had fun at lunch and we were covered in icing.

I read the SON’s favorite story Molly Lou Mellon, a great story of a little girl who gets picked on by Ronald Dirken.  It is a story about celebrating who you are and about not trying to be somebody else.  Just Be You and celebrate your differences!

Great book … Great message …

A message we all need to hear.  After I finished the story, I shared my personal story of overcoming my learning disability and how I so struggled in school, especially with reading. And now they got to hear me read a book and see how I had overcome that.  I shared how we are each special and sometimes mommies and daddies just get so busy we forget to tell those they love, “how special they truly are.”  I asked for their thoughts about the book and here is what I heard.

One little girl said, “It is all about being yourself and not trying to be anybody else!  Ding!!! Ding !!! Ding!!!

Yes, that is it, I said. Be You!!! You alone are special. You are a gift!

Then one little boy said, “You filled our buckets today!”  I quickly replied with the question “Filled your bucket? Tell me about that?

He said Miss. Spence our teacher said, “When we do kind things for others, we fill their bucket, but when we hurt others we take out of their bucket! Ding!!!Ding!!! Ding!!!

Wow! Yes, You go Miss Spence! It is the second week of school and all those little people were learning how to love others by filling others buckets with kindness.

I have said something like that a million times to friends and clients, “when we pour out, we must refill ourselves.”  A very famous Christian author reminds us of the same concept in our marriages. And I would agree with Miss Spence that filling our buckets affects all relationships in our lives, not just our marriage.
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So I handed out the little cards, hugged some necks, kissed the youngest SON and embarrassed him to death. But one thing I know, he will never wonder if I love him or value him for being him.  Birthday or no birthday.

As I was leaving one little boy said, “Here, I don’t want my note.” I was taken aback and as well as concerned.  I suggested he give it to Miss Spence or to one of his parents, but all he said was a simply “no.”  He waved the card and as I went to take it from his hand there on the back were two stick figures, a drawing of a girl with long hair and a young boy.

Now I understood why he wanted me to have the card back.  It was a gift.  I simply said “you drew this for me?” and he nodded his head yes. Then I told he and the rest of the class that they had  filled my bucket.

As I walked down the hall I remembered I had one more note that I started but had not finished. I filled it out and went back and gave it to the boy who had given me his. And hopefully I filled his bucket.

So on this Thankful Thursday why not take a moment to ask yourself a few questions.

Whose bucket am I filling?

Whose bucket am I emptying out?

Is anyone in my life filling my bucket?  If so who are they?

Thank God for your bucket fillers and pray for the ones that are trying hard to empty yours out.  Then ask God to help you be a bucket filler.

Then finally ask God to fill you up dear sister! Fill you to the brim with His love, His joy, His peace and remember you are special and you are a gift!

On this Thankful Thursday, I pray we can all remember that birthdays come but once a year; but telling someone how special they are does not require a special occasion – just  the special desire to tell them so.

Be blessed and encouraged abundantly today on this Thankful Thursday as we remember to be bucket fillers!

*This post is in special on honor of the youngest SON of Thunder and Miss Spence for teaching me more about filling buckets.