Have you heard that saying if you don’t fill your own bucket, you can’t help others?

Another one is you can’t pour from an empty cup.

I am in a caring role and am giving out a lot as a primary school Chaplain.

Last year was a difficult year, it was probably the most difficult year I have had as a Chaplain.

In October I will be celebrating 12 years as a Chaplain.

Yeah! I love what I get to do.

Last year was full on I had COVID which took me about a good six weeks to recover. I had very little energy.

Then there were two critical incidents that happened in about the space of 4 months apart.

I didn’t realise that I had gone into a pit, not a real one and an emotional one.

I had long service leave this year in February and I just crashed.

Life felt heavy, sad and dark.

It felt like a storm was coming and setting in for the next few months.

I didn’t see it coming, it blindsided me, it took me off guard.

It took my breath away, it took my joy away, I felt like I had been punched in the stomach and I was struggling to get my breath back.

I remember sitting on my couch, crying and thinking this is not what I had planned for my long service leave.

I did not have on my to-do list-

• Sit on the couch
• Cry
• Don’t go anywhere
• Don’t see any friends
• Sleep
• Watch Netflix.

I didn’t want to be creative, write, sing, or enjoy my life.

Slowly the storm clouds broke and I could see a glimmer of sunlight trying to cut through the darkness.

It didn’t happen overnight, it took effort, it took reaching out and asking for help.

Which just saying for me, is a huge thing.

It took prayer.

I decided as you may have known that this year is all about self-care.

It is about me doing things that fill my bucket.

When I went back to work, I was having a discussion with a friend, she said your bucket wasn’t very full last year.

I said a bucket, I just had a handle.

We laughed until we were crying with laughter.

It was so good to laugh, it was so good to have joy back.

This year I am making self-care a priority, to fill my bucket.

What are you making a priority this year, to fill your bucket?

Would love to hear from you.

Much love

Tracey