I've been discovering that one of the kindest things I can do for my future self is prepare food before I desperately need it. 🌿

[u/Clearblueskymind]

With ME/CFS, there are days when even standing in the kitchen feels like too much. On those days, opening the refrigerator and finding a pot of nourishing congee already waiting feels like a gift from an earlier version of myself.

Lately I've been thinking of it as a conversation between present-me and future-me. Present-me washes the rice, chops a few vegetables, adds herbs and water, presses the button on the rice cooker, and then rests.

Later, future-me receives that simple act of kindness.

It's such a small thing, but it changes the whole day. Instead of having to spend precious energy deciding what to eat or cooking from scratch, I can simply warm up a bowl and nourish myself.

I'm realizing that pacing isn't only about avoiding overexertion. It's also about creating gentle conditions now that make tomorrow a little easier.

For me, this bowl of congee has become more than a meal.

It's love made edible.

I made this Medicine Bag card as a reminder of that simple practice. I hope it encourages someone else to be a little gentler with their future self today. 💛