Who Are You Saving the Good Cups For?
What a year! Just the other day, I was scrolling through my socials when I came across businesses already selling Christmas decorations. My flabber was absolutely gasted! 😂
Christmas? Already? It feels like I sent those Happy New Year messages to friends and family just a few days ago. How are we already counting down to the end of the year?
Anyway, it is Monday, 12th October, and I recently watched a video that left me thinking about something we often forget, we need to celebrate life while we are living it.
Not just the big wins. Not just birthdays, graduations, promotions or weddings. I am talking about the little things we do every day that deserve a moment of appreciation.
Finished an assignment? Celebrate!
Cooked a meal that turned out so good you almost surprised yourself? Celebrate!
Passed your thesis defence? Please celebrate!
Managed to stay away from alcohol for a month? That deserves a little pat on the back, too.
Got out of bed on a difficult morning and showed up for yourself? Celebrate that as well.
We are often so focused on the next thing that we barely stop to appreciate what we have already achieved. We finish one task and immediately start worrying about the next. We reach one milestone and quickly move the goalposts.
Before we know it, life becomes one long to-do list.
But what if we started enjoying the journey a little more?
Can We Talk About “Za Wageni”?
Growing up, many of us knew those special cups, plates and mugs that were reserved for visitors.
You know the ones. The beautiful set tucked away safely in the cupboard, only to make an appearance when guests came over. Meanwhile, the family used the everyday utensils.
Some of us grew up hearing, “Hizo ni za wageni!” 😂
But as I thought about celebrating the little things, I couldn’t help wondering: why do we keep reserving the good things for other people or for some special day in the future?
Why must we wait for visitors to use the beautiful cups? Why should the fancy plates only come out during Christmas? And why do we keep postponing the good life until we feel we have achieved enough to deserve it?
Use the cups. Use the plates. Bring out those mugs. You are worth celebrating, even when nobody is coming over.
You don’t need to wait for a birthday, an anniversary or a housewarming to enjoy the things you already own.
Sometimes, the occasion is simply that you are here, you are trying, and you are making it through life one day at a time.
I Started Celebrating Myself, One Month at a Time
One thing I have intentionally tried to do this year is buy myself something every month.
Nothing extravagant necessarily. Just something that makes me happy and reminds me to appreciate myself.
It could be something I have wanted for a while, something useful or simply a little treat that puts a smile on my face.
And honestly, the fulfilment that comes with it is unmatched.
There is something beautiful about deciding that you don’t always have to wait for someone else to make you feel special. You can show up for yourself, acknowledge your efforts and enjoy the fruits of your hard work, even in small ways.
Of course, celebrating yourself doesn’t have to mean spending money. You can take yourself for a walk, watch your favourite movie, prepare a lovely meal, spend time with people you love or finally take that afternoon nap without feeling guilty.
The point is not to spend beyond your means. It is to stop treating your own happiness as something that can wait forever.
We Are Living in Some of Our Answered Prayers
Think about it for a moment.
There was a time you prayed for an opportunity you now have. There was a time you hoped to reach a stage of life you are currently experiencing. There are things you once wished for that have quietly become part of your everyday life.
Yet, because life keeps moving, we sometimes forget to appreciate them.
We become so consumed by what we don’t have that we overlook what we once desperately wanted.
This is your gentle reminder to pause.
Celebrate the progress, even if you haven’t reached the destination. Appreciate the people who show up for you. Be proud of the work you are putting in. Give yourself credit for surviving seasons you thought would break you.
You don’t have to pretend everything is perfect to appreciate the good things.
Life can be complicated, expensive, exhausting and unpredictable. You can be working towards bigger dreams and still find reasons to be grateful today.
Both things can be true.
So, Here’s to the Little Things
As we head towards the end of the year, perhaps we should stop asking only what we have achieved and start asking what we have enjoyed.
Did we laugh enough? Did we make time for ourselves? Did we appreciate the people around us? Did we celebrate the small wins, or were we too busy chasing the next big thing?
My takeaway is simple: stop postponing happiness until everything falls into place.
Use the good dishes. Wear that outfit. Buy yourself those flowers. Make the meal. Take the trip when you can afford it. Celebrate the assignment, the new job, the little business milestone and the quiet personal victory nobody else knows about.
And please, don’t wait until December to bring out the Christmas decorations if they make you happy. 😂
Life is happening now, not when you finally tick every box on your list.
So, here’s a toast to good health, answered prayers, little victories, personal growth, unexpected joy and the courage to celebrate ourselves along the way.
Cheers to life, to the little things, and to learning that we, too, are worth celebrating. 🥂
Previous read can be found here
