Care
care
Tending to what's in front of you with your whole attention: a person, a task, yourself. Care is love made gentle and steady.
Another way of seeing it
You can't pour from an empty cup, and caring for yourself isn't selfish. It's maintenance. The rest, the boundaries, the small comforts: they're what make it possible to keep caring for everyone else.
In relationships
Don't say, 'Let me know if you need anything.' Do something specific: drop off dinner, take the kids, book the appointment.
In the ordinary day
Take extra care with one thing you'll hand to someone else today: the gift wrapping, the report, the lunchbox note.
A question to sit with
Who needs you to show up, not just say you care?
Carry this with you
Care is a verb.
Where it comes from
From the Old English caru, which meant sorrow or concern. Over time it came to mean the attention we give to what we don't want to lose.
Try this today
Give one person or thing your full, unhurried attention.
Journal prompts for Care
- What or who have I been neglecting lately?
- How do I like to be cared for?
- Where could I show care without being asked?
Did this word resonate with you today?
Know someone who might need this word?