Discussion

While doing errands this week Little Buddy and I drove past a man holding a sign that read, “Please help: Need money for food and Pampers.” His wife and two young children were standing next to him. It was the middle of the afternoon, and the sun was bright and hot.

My heart broke for this beautiful family. There was a grocery store nearby, so Little Buddy and I ran in and grabbed some healthy granola bars and organic chocolate milks. We rushed (as much as a mom can rush when her toddler wants to walk through the store instead of sit in the cart).

I hoped that would still be there when we came out, and they were. As I rolled down my window and handed the bag of groceries to the dad, he was genuinely appreciative. “Thank you!” he beamed, in broken English. “God bless you and your family.’

In my rearview mirror, I saw the kids eagerly tearing into the snacks, and I wished I had bought more. I truly hope to cross paths with this family again. If that does happen, my plan is to give them a larger load of groceries and then stop by the nearest church and talk to the pastor. I know that if someone did that at our church, our pastor would immediately buy the family a meal and then take it upon himself to make sure they received the help they needed.

Have you ever been in this situation? It can be disheartening when you give food or offer to buy a meal and the person turns up their nose and walks away, clearly only interested in money. We’ve all been there, and it stings. But this family was genuinely in need and clearly appreciative of any gift.

Looking back at how much of a fad coffee–particularly espresso–has become over the past several years really fascinates me. The regular coffee, whether black or mixed with a bit of cream and sugar, that folks have brewed for centuries has sort of become passe. In its place are lattes, mochas, frappes, americanos, cappuccinos, and a host of other drinks that I can’t name, let alone tell you how they are made.

Before we became parents, Mr. Handsome and I were not big coffee drinkers. We would occasionally pick up a latte or mocha on car trips, but that was it. Enter Little Buddy, and everything changed. It was Mr. Handsome who started the trend, claiming that he needed it to function at work.

I somehow survived the newborn days without coffee, but it just made the house smell so good that I eventually got into it. I usually don’t drink it in the morning, but it makes a great mid-afternoon pick-me-up. In fact, I’m drinking a cup as I write this.

When we’re at home, we drink black coffee, made in our $20 French press, with a good amount of milk and a tiny bit of cream (the real stuff, not creamer). But when we’re out and about and feel like treating ourselves, we love to stop by coffee shops and pick up one drink to share. Over the summer, we did mostly iced lattes, but now we’re into hot lattes. While we enjoy the more sugary drinks, we usually ask the barista to hold off on any sweetener or flavoring. But every once in a while, we’ll try one of the advertised seasonal lattes, like lavender or pumpkin spice.

I still remember the day I told Mr. Handsome how delicious the fancy coffee drinks from Starbucks were and that he should try them. He laughed and told me that he would never get into that. Fast-forward about three years, and he is quickly becoming a coffee connoisseur. We haven’t been to Starbucks in months because we both agree that the coffee sold at independent coffee shops is much more delicious.

Are you a coffee drinker? What are your favorite ways to drink it?