All My Favorite Coffee Mugs Broke at Once – Here’s What I Learned

Do you have a favorite coffee mug? Maybe several? The one that feels just right in your hands, the one that couldn’t be more beautiful to your eyes, the one that reminds you of the dear place where you bought it?

After nearly fifteen years of having my own home, I’d curated my own collection of beloved coffee mugs. I try to be as minimalistic as a mother of six children can be, so even when keeping dishes for eight people plus guests, I periodically go through my cupboards and donate or sell what’s no longer needed.

I was doing this recently, taking all the coffee mugs out of the cupboard and putting only my favorites back on the shelf. Then, one of the shelf support pegs gave out, the shelf tipped, and I watched in horror with helplessly outstretched hands as the entire collection of favorite mugs slid out of the cupboard onto the granite countertop and the floor below.

I cried. I couldn’t help it. The shock, the expense, the lost treasures – it overwhelmed me for a minute as I stood there looking at the porcelain mess at my feet. One of the mugs had been purchased on a Christmas Eve drive in the forests of Washington state, when we spontaneously stopped in at an artisan’s home/shop and splurged on this useful piece of art. A few of the mugs had been vintage Fiestaware in my favorite elusive color (Juniper) that I had JUST found at an antique store over my birthday weekend. A couple mugs had been my everyday favorites with gilded handles and lovely art by Rifle Paper Co.

Replacing some of them would be expensive. And replacing others would take years of antique shop hunting. Realistically, I wouldn’t be replacing my collection any time soon. My eyes went to the mugs that were still safely upon the counter – the mugs that I’d considered donating or selling. I would now be keeping them. The decision had been made for me.

After my initial dismay, as I started to sweep up the shards, I was very surprised to feel a slight sense of relief. Perhaps it was the fact that the decision-making process was now unnecessary. No this-or-that choices over which to labor. (And I was grateful for the abundance that even with a shelf’s worth of cups broken, we still had enough to serve our family.)

Also, strangely, it felt much like a new beginning. These less-than-favorite mugs would serve for the time being, but I knew that any mugs I purchased from that point on would be in shapes, colors, and materials more in keeping with the personal style I’d been cultivating in my home. It was rather a fresh start.

A few weeks later, the same thing happened with my music playlists. After using the same music app for years, my husband and I decided to switch services. I hadn’t realized that as soon as we halted our subscription, the record of my carefully curated playlists would vanish. The playlist for living room dance parties with my children, my exercise playlist, my playlist for when company came to dinner, my various Christmas playlists, the songs I wanted to learn and sing with my family – gone. In this case, too, I had to begin again.

Sometimes the option of decision-making is taken away from us. Sometimes we are forced into new beginnings, when we would not have chosen them for ourselves. Sometimes it can be frustrating or even infuriating.

But sometimes it can be good.

Forgive me if it’s a bit of a stretch, but this Bible verse comes to mind… Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Being a Christian involves believing the Bible – believing that God is in control. And there’s a great deal of peace in believing that God is working all things for good. Even the little things.

So I choose to look for the good. It may be ridiculously optimistic, but I look forward to collecting new coffee mugs in the coming years. I look forward to rediscovering old favorite songs, being surprised by new ones, and curating a collection of music all over again. I look forward to the thrill of discovery and the joy of building something lovely.

Situations like these, where we must accept unexpected change or loss, are opportunities for personal growth. We can move forward honing in on our true values as we rebuild. In material aspects, we can curate our homes to reflect the current season of our lives. And in the intangible aspects, it still helps to look for the good, trusting that God has a purpose in all things. 🌿