My mother drinks from the same Alice-in-Wonderland teacup every morning. She bought it many years ago when we were on vacation in Florida. My parents had just divorced, and the trip was planned so that we could get away and begin our new lives.

Unfortunately, the entire time we were at Disney World it rained. At first we tried to do indoor things, but on the third and final day, we put on raincoats and tried to tough it out. But the wet got the better of us, and after a huge argument over what to do, we decided to leave.

On the way out, we collected gifts for everyone back home. As Mom piled T-shirts and hats onto the counter, she added a half-priced Alice-in- Wonderland teacup as an afterthought.

That evening we drove to the ocean for one last look. The rain had let up and the mosquitoes were brutal, but the water was warm and we stayed to watch the sunset.

“I’m sorry,” Mom said. “I guess this vacation wasn’t such a good idea.”

I looked off into the distance and pretended not to hear. It seemed lately all we had was disappointment, and I needed something to be all right.

“We tried,” she said. “That’s the important thing.”

When we got home, instead of giving away the cup as she had planned, Mom put it in our cabinet. Soon it became a special part of her morning. Since then, the gold rim around the edge has worn off and the Cheshire cat is missing teeth, yet the cup grows more precious every day.

Lord, so often my weakest moments become my strengths. Thank You for the little things that help me to remember to push on.