We spend so much time trying to finish everything that we sometimes forget to appreciate simply moving forward. Grab your cup. This morning, one small step is enough.
By Benjamin Groff II GroffMedia© | benandsteve.com | ©2026
August 14, 2026
There is something about morning that makes us believe we ought to have a plan.
We pour the coffee, look at the day ahead, and begin making a list in our minds. Things that need doing. People who need calling. Problems that need solving. Yesterday’s unfinished business somehow finds its way onto today’s kitchen table before we have even taken the first sip.
But maybe everything doesn’t need to be finished today.
Some things simply take time.
I think back to the way people once approached ordinary work. A garden wasn’t planted in the morning and harvested that afternoon. A fence was built one post at a time. A long trip was measured in miles traveled, not merely by how quickly you reached the destination.
There was an understanding that worthwhile things often required patience.
We sometimes forget that when it comes to ourselves.
We expect answers immediately. We want worries settled, grief healed, relationships repaired, and uncertainty resolved before bedtime. When that doesn’t happen, we can feel as though we somehow failed the day.
But perhaps today’s accomplishment is simply moving one step forward.
Maybe you make the telephone call.
Maybe you write the first paragraph.
Maybe you forgive a little.
Maybe you worry a little less.
Maybe you finally sit quietly for ten minutes with a cup of coffee and realize the world managed to keep turning without your supervision.
There will always be something left undone when evening comes. That isn’t failure. That is life reminding us there is another day waiting.
So this morning, don’t measure your day by everything you manage to finish.
Measure it by whether you moved something worthwhile a little farther down the road.
And if all you manage today is one small step, remember:
A small step forward is still farther than you were yesterday.
Pour yourself another cup.
Tomorrow will have its own list.
For now, this morning is enough.
Until tomorrow, may your coffee stay warm, your memories stay close, and your hope stay strong. The coffee will be waiting again tomorrow, and I hope you’ll be here to share it with me.
— Benjamin Groff II
Morning Coffee at benandsteve.com
Excerpt
Not everything needs to be finished today. Some things simply take time. This morning’s coffee is a reminder that one small step forward can be enough.
By Benjamin Groff II GroffMedia© | benandsteve.com | ©2026
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I will return to this piece again and again for reminders. This is one of the best things I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.
Thank you. ❤️
Thank you, KikiFikar! I truly appreciate your kindness. This next week I’m probably going to be a little less active—although I always say that and then somehow manage to post twice as much.
But family is calling, and we’ll be heading back toward Oklahoma. I have also made one firm travel decision: I refuse to spend my waking hours staring at miles and miles of Texas, so we plan to drive through much of that stretch at night! There will undoubtedly be updates from the road as we roll along.
And if you’ve never watched Sordid Lives, you really should. Between the series and the movies, it manages to be outrageous, hilarious, touching, and oddly familiar all at once. With people like the late Leslie Jordan, Olivia Newton-John, and Beau Bridges among the cast, there is plenty to enjoy.
What makes it especially funny to me is that I recognize some of those characters a little too well. When I return to my old home county, I sometimes find myself right back in the clutches of people who could have wandered straight out of Sordid Lives. I don’t even call it my hometown anymore. At this point, the whole county deserves credit. 😂
I’ll add it to my list of must sees!
Wishing you a safe trip. Will be thinking of all of you. ❤️💪🏼