Any Cups in Your Cabinets?

Recently I spent time in Galveston at a retreat with a group of ladies from my church. The overall theme dealt with "Filling our Cup"...you know, to rejuvenate, or refresh our inner person. As I read over the blue paper that listed the "things to bring", one of the items was a favorite drinking utensil like a coffee mug, glass, plastic cup, whatever. Missing the purpose of said "cup", I assumed the reason for bringing a cup was simply so we'd have our own coffee cup while on the retreat. That being the case, I grabbed a generic blue plastic cup that Kim had gotten at a trade show. It was functional with a nice handle and if I left it in the hotel room, it wouldn't be a great loss. After writing my last name, MARTIN, across it with a black Sharpie, I tossed it carelessly in my bag.

When the speaker at the event started talking about a cup that she had brought, how she loved the yellow flowers on it, I knew that my choice of cup was all wrong. As I listened to the room full of ladies tell about their individual cups, I sat half listening, half composing in my head. Some of their stories were very touching. Oh brother! What am I going to say about this industrial equipment cup?

After almost every other woman in the room had obviously understood the directions and had brought us all to tears with their touching coffee cup stories...it was my turn. I had to laugh as I admitted to my "sisters" that I had misunderstood the purpose of choosing the right cup. I then placed my cup, chosen without thought, back on the table and proclaimed that it held no sentimental meaning to me at all. However, now I would like to tell you about my coffee mugs and what I've learned about these often overlooked memories of our past.

First of all there is the set of chunky tan coffee mugs that was given to me by my mother. One year I told her how much I liked the coffee mugs at IHop. I like the heavy feel in my hand and the rounded shape and large size of the mug for drinking coffee. So at Christmas that year, I opened these wonderful mugs and now I think about my mom every time I hold one in my hand. If I told a story for all the coffee cups in my cabinets, you'd be begging for mercy and pleading for this article to end. So I won't.

However, as I glance at my coffee cup cabinet, I remember so many experiences and fun times in my family's life. I have a cup Kyle brought back from the Guggenheim Museum in New York and I remember the 6 weeks he spent at NYU studying film making. I see my cups from the Baytown Little Theater and remember all the plays we have taken part in. My ACU cup and my Ko Jo Kai cup remind me of my college days and close friendships I maintain today. The coffee mug from the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta reminds me of a long adventure we took on the road that summer with all three boys and the puppy we drove home with.

Of course, there are the countless number of coffee mugs I've received as a teacher from my students over the years. I don't remember who gave me which ones, but some I've kept because of their unique look. I know some of them were chosen because that child knew his or her teacher well enough to know that I'd like an over-sized pink M&M mug.

I was amazed to learn how much of my family's history can be found in my kitchen cabinet. There are so many memories tied up in vessels we use to hold our liquid comfort. Perhaps that is why we drink so much coffee. It isn't so much that we like it, we just want to remember those special times from our past.

So give it a try. Take a look at the coffee cups in your cabinets. See what memories flood back to mind and I'm sure it'll leave you with a smile and maybe even a tear as it did for me.