The Cracked Coffee Cup

I have a coffee mug that was given to me by my sister on her wedding day as a thank you for being her maid of honor. It’s nearly 4 years later and this cup now has a crack in it, likely from my own haphazard way of throwing hand wash only items in the dishwasher out of laziness and self assurance that “it’ll be fine”. 

Despite, or perhaps even in spite of this crack, I still love this mug and have no intention of throwing it out. Why am I writing about a cracked coffee mug? Well, this blog is called Brooke’s Babbles so I anticipate that my readers are along for the ride of my random ramblings; however, there is a point to this as there is a purpose in everyone and everything, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. 

Allow me to paint a picture for you:

It’s Monday morning at 7 am (perhaps earlier, perhaps later), you exhaustedly wander over to your cabinet, open the doors, and grab a mug out of the cupboard. 

Which mug did you pick? I bet there’s one, maybe two or three, mugs that you considered but you quickly made your selection without giving it a second thought. So you think. Allow me to paint another picture for you: 

It’s Monday morning at 7 am (perhaps earlier, perhaps later), you exhaustedly wander over to your cabinet, open the doors, and grab a mug out of the cupboard. Only this time, your favorite mug is nowhere to be found. 

How do you feel? It may seem insignificant, or perhaps silly, but I imagine if you’re anything like me, you’d be upset. After sifting through all of the places it could possibly be and still not finding it, you’d be a bit sad and start to think of all of the little details about that mug. Where you got it, who gave it to you, how it felt in your hands, and how it was just the perfect mug for your coffee consumption, and how your mornings won’t be the same if you never get to drink your morning brew from it again. 

I know I’m not the only one with an attachment to coffee mugs. My neighbor and good friend recently told me an anecdote about his favorite mug that his dad bought many years ago from goodness knows what store but he’s been using it for years since he started drinking coffee probably as a teenager. Now he’s in his 30s and dreads the day it ever breaks because the dimensions of it are just perfect and it’s gotten him through all of the seasons of fatherhood thus far. Although a small anecdote, it was enough to hold a place in my memory. Something I think about a lot is how much we say and do but we feel like it doesn’t matter, but it does. Brooke’s brain is brewing up a babble that will delve deeper into this topic of storytelling and the impact we have, but that’s for another post so stay tuned. 

Now, allow me to tie all of this together. We are all like coffee mugs and I’m not talking in the sense of “filling your cup” (although that’s a topic for another blog), I mean this as an analogy between humans and coffee mugs. If our favorite coffee mug gets cracked, old, or faded, do we just throw it away? No. Perhaps you hold it even closer and treat it more gently. I think if I were to ask you if you’d throw your best friend away because of his or her “cracks” or “flaws”, you’d immediately say, “Of course not! It’s part of who they are and I love them anyway!”. 

So why then would we be any different? That person you see staring back at you in the mirror has some “cracks” or is perhaps worn out, but is still valuable, lovable, and has potential for many good years ahead. What if I told you that you, my friend, are worthy of being someone’s favorite?

Even if you don’t think you are someone’s favorite or that you are too “cracked” - we all have the potential to be someone’s favorite, in whatever capacity suits you. Whether it’s a romantic relationship with someone who is good to you and fulfills your heart, a friendship with someone who is supportive and full of laughs, a bond between you and your child who thinks the world of you, or even a relationship with yourself that allows you to see and love yourself, cracks and all. 

No matter what form this takes shape, you deserve someone who looks at you, and truly sees you, with all of their love and light radiating through their eyes. Despite, or even in spite, of your cracks and scars. 

Let us remember that we don’t have to lose or destroy our mugs, or favorite humans or ourselves, to remember the value they hold in our hearts.  I challenge you to ask yourself, “What if we saw and accepted the cracks in each other and ourselves? What if we held them gently and with love and appreciation and loved them in spite of it all?”

About Brooke’s Babbles
Brooke’s Babbles is a podcast and blog where strategy meets soul. Hosted by marketing consultant and creative strategist Brooke, Brooke’s Babbles offers honest conversations, insightful tips, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the world of small business marketing, entrepreneurship, and real life. Whether you're here for marketing insights, mindset shifts, or a dose of inspiration, you’re in the right place.

Let’s Connect
Love what you read? Subscribe for fresh content, follow us on social media, or reach out to work together.