Have You Filled a Bucket Today?

Friends!  Grab a cup of coffee and plop in a super comfy chair as today we’re going to have a slow and easy day, trying out a sweet idea on our friends and family.  While the book I’m about to tell you about is for children, its’ concept is for all ages…

Somebody in late springtime, told me about this book and I promptly ordered four copies:  one for us, and one for each of our boys’ families as we were about to have our family staycation. I knew with the theme of the book, I could run with it…

The book?

Have You Filled a Bucket Today?  A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids by Carol McLoud

The premise behind the book involves how we treat one another.  We’re to envision every person who crosses our path is carrying an invisible bucket with them.  The bucket “represents a person’s mental and emotional health.”

When we teach our kids or friends this idea, likewise they need to turn around and “express kindness and love” to others. Then at the end of each day, we can tell each other who we treated with kindness or perhaps performed an act of kindness for, etc.

Conversely, when you don’t treat someone with love, maybe disrespecting them or saying something not so nice to them, akin to bullying, that empties someone’s bucket.  The book calls this “bucket dipping.”   It should be our goal to become daily bucket fillers.

Ephesians 4:29 says,

When the weekend came for our families’ staycation, I put together some fun baskets with “Family Staycation” beach towels, Tervis tumblers, and a bright bucket with this book in it for each family. Prior to everyone’s arrival, I was upstairs with Claire and Charlotte. 

They were wanting to play with the same toy of course, so I suggested they take turns.  Claire wanted more minutes than Charlotte, and the bargaining ensued as well as the trinkets that went along with this particular toy. 

Finally, a wee bit exasperated over their discourse, I said, “Hey y’all, I’m giving you a new book this weekend that’s all about filling our buckets by doing or saying nice things to each other. It’s called Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” 

Charlotte, then four years old, said, “Oh, Lolly, I know that book!  We have it at school.”

And with that she proclaimed, “And Claire, you are EMPTYING my bucket!!!”

Clearly these young ones can grasp the concept of bucket filling!  I was telling my friend, Jane, about this conversation and she said it reminded her of something we learned from another book years ago where we adults have emotional bank accounts…same idea as a bucket to fill—sometimes we can be starving for attention, love, etc., needing that account to be filled up.

Especially for our spouses, it’s our job to fill each other’s emotional bank accounts so we can confidently tackle our day with an uplifted spirit. It also works with friends and children and grandchildren.  Who in the world wants to be criticized or fussed at or worse? 

Make it your daily aim to fill those buckets and/or emotional bank accounts.  Try this with your loved ones.  Maybe bite your tongue when you’re at the end of your rope, ready to lash out. (Google: “101 Ways to Use Duct Tape.” Kidding, sorta.)

1 John 4:19 says,

Now run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore and grab Have You Filled a Bucket Today?  You and those you encounter will be blessed!

‘Til next time!

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