The Conversation: Kindness in a cup of coffee.
I’m Canadian. I love coffee! These two things go hand in hand. There’s a Tim Hortons on practically every corner of every major Canadian city. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around the number of times I’ve gone through a Tim Horton’s or Starbucks drive-thru. Minimum once, but more like three times a day. That’s a lot of caffeine!
Over the past 10 years, a few times a week I buy coffee for a complete stranger. It’s my little way of making a connection with someone I don’t know, hopefully brightening their day and putting a smile on their face. I love looking in the rearview mirror at the person in the drive-threw behind me imagining their expression when they’re handed their coffee or croissant and told it was paid for. I always tell the barista to tell them to have a great day. I know it’s just a cup of coffee, but it’s so much more to me. My small way of showing another human being that someone is think about them and wanting them to start their day with a hot cup of coffee. It’s an opportunity for me to make a connection.
In this technological era, human connections are dwindling. Any where I go I see the majority of people walking around, head down immersed in their phone. Facebook, instagram, texting is right at our finger tips. It’s so easy to loose touch with the people around us, me included.
I not only love yoga because it reduces stress, I come to my mat to experience a deeper connection with not only myself, but with those around me. I feel like I’m a part of something larger than myself. Whether it’s a familiar face or a new one, connecting with community is the biggest pleasure of my day.
This past week I had the unexpected pleasure of being on the receiving end. I ordered my morning coffee, drove up with card in hand and the barista handed me my coffee and told me to have a great day. I was the only car in the drive-threw. I don't know if it was the barista who was just being kind or someone who had already driven off that paid for my coffee. It didn’t matter. That little expression of kindness meant so much. More than warming the body, it warmed my heart.
Making connections one coffee at a time! Anita
