Beginnings are important…
Precious as the birth of a baby
Lasting as the first “hello” of a new friend
Simple as the start of the day
Beginnings are difficult…
Uncertainty of a new job
Anger due to unexpected illness
Life after the death of a loved one
Beginnings are lasting…
Challenges that stretch and mold
Tears that cannot be contained
Lifetime of beautiful memories
We all travel a path
Continually crisscrossing others
Sometimes accidentally
Sometimes intentionally
Always connecting
When a connection is memorable
We pause and take notice
Should we choose to embrace our fellow traveler
Our path may change for the better
Our path may change forever
My earliest memories of coffee stem from my Grandma Mahar’s house. Always a fresh pot brewing, Grandma was glad to share a cup. She had nine children and twenty-six grandchildren, so someone was bound to stop by for a visit. Visit is the key word, because in our family, drinking coffee meant conversations around the kitchen table.
Several years ago I realized coffee for me equates to a comfort food due to this strong childhood connection. Not only does it provide literal warmth, it also provides fond memories of growing up in a family that talked, listened, argued, disagreed, and loved, often over a cup of coffee.
Today getting coffee is a common social convention. Whether it’s friends visiting, a nervous first date, a job interview, each may be witnessed at the local coffee shop on any given day. Some may consider the practice routine or mundane. As for me, an invitation to coffee is neither. It’s an invitation to talk, laugh, maybe even cry-enjoying the time our paths are allowed to cross.
Coffee
Fancy or Plain
Black or With Cream
Home or Coffee Shop
Makes no difference to me
Coffee
Warmth and Comfort
Friendship and Family
Laughter and Memories
More than it appears to be
I wrote the following poem based on my connection with a former student. Recent news stories concerning the separation of children from their parents brought it to mind.
Deserved vs. Received
I deserved contempt, judgement, death.
I received forgiveness, grace, life.
I deserved exclusion, distance, rejection.
I received community, acceptance, adoption.
This is Love.
This child deserved love, safety, a community.
She received hurt, fear, isolation.
This child deserved affection, a home, a family.
She received neglect, loneliness, strangers.
This is Sin.
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.” I Peter 4:8
Piano Girl 