Just Chatting - 5/21/13

If we were chatting over coffee today, I would tell you how absolutely wonderful it is to drink a cup of coffee. Aside from a cup at Mother’s Day, I have not sipped that lovely drink in 24 days. I’d tell you that I proved that I could function without my morning cup of joe. But I missed the ritual of fixing his and her coffee’s while the house was still quiet. I missed the warmth of the cup in my hands while I began my day in prayer. If we were chatting over coffee today, I’d tell you that coffee is now my chosen vice….and I am totally at peace with that fact.


If we were chatting over coffee today, I would share how I slept in until 8:00 a.m. on Saturday – and that it was absolutely glorious. You’d probably laugh as I told you that I lounged in bed for another half-hour before getting up to fix Joycie’s breakfast and to clean the house in my pj’s. I would chuckle myself at the image of me sweeping and mopping in my cotton nightgown. But at least it was one less outfit to wash.

If we were chatting over coffee today, I would ask you if you struggle with balancing the things you need to do (like laundry and the dishes) with the things you want to do (like snuggling in the bed to watch Saturday morning cartoons or blowing bubbles in the yard). Before Saturday, I hadn’t really cleaned the house in a few weeks, so it needed to be done. But Joycie wanted me to blow bubbles, watch cartoons, and play dress-up. I explained to her that I had to clean and played with her as soon as I was done…but I still feel guilty.

If we were chatting over coffee today, I would tell you that the Lord is teaching me to find contentment in the moment. I would share that on Sunday night while washing the dishes, I wanted to grumble. It was late, I was tired, Micheal had dirtied the dishes, all I ever do is clean (maybe a bit dramatic). In the midst of the grumbling, the Lord asked me “Do you want your old life back?” I thought of my single days, living in an apartment in Atlanta, cooking meals for one, and eating them off paper plates. Suddenly, I saw those dishes in a different light. They are a symbol of a family, living in a home, and while I do get tired of washing dishes – I wouldn’t trade those dishes for my old life.

If we were chatting over coffee today, I would ask you what lessons you learned this week? I would ask you to tell me about your weekend – where you went, what you did, who you saw? I asked you what was on your agenda for the week ahead? And then I’d refill our coffee cups, listen to you chat away, and tell you how much I look forward to our next chat.

Just Chatting (A Virtual Coffee Date)

I imagine us seated in comfy, over-sized chairs in a quaint coffee shop. The soft sounds of the barista taking orders, the whir of the blender, and the soft chatter of customers acting a background track to our meeting.  I see myself sipping an iced coffee, eager to tell you of the happenings since our last conversation.

Once you had settled yourself, I would begin to recount my Mother's Day.  How I woke up at 7:30 to Joycie tugging on my hand and shouting "It's morning time, Mama!" I would laugh as I remembered how alert and happy she was, while I stumbled to the kitchen to fix her milk.   I'd share how Micheal gifted me with a steaming cup of coffee and pancakes - which were the best gifts I could have gotten.  But he also gave me beautiful cards, my favorite Lindor Truffles, and a new locket.

If we were chatting right now, you would listen as I talked about the afternoon we spent with the mother's in our lives - Micheal's Mom and 2 grandmothers, and my own mother.  And I would wonder aloud if I'll be have the mother that each of those women have been.

As time winds down, I'd tell you how blueberry season is in full swing, and our farm responsibilities are increasing. I'd talk about having to learn to drive the tractor, hauling berries to town after dark, and how I am watching the weather almost hourly - hoping for the right amount of sun and rain. And chuckle at myself - the girl who thought she'd never live Atlanta - who is rapidly becoming a country girl.

I'd end our time together, by asking you about your Mother's Day - eager to hear how you celebrated the Mother's in your life? I would want to know what you are doing in the upcoming weeks.  And I of course would make a date for coffee next week, will you join me?