Outward Signs

Coffee on the front porch.

This has become a regular morning and afternoon ritual for me and Brandon. It has become something our friends look forward to doing with us when they come to visit. And let me tell you, I really like coffee, and I really enjoy having coffee with Brandon and with our friends. But truth be told, it is not about the coffee.

Drinking coffee used to be quick and on-the-go. Our cabinets were full of different travel mugs all used to get that first cup down while driving to work or shuttling kids. It was all about survival mode rather than ritual. Having a second cup in the afternoon was a means to making it through the next meeting or making it to the next kid’s game.

I realize now, that’s pretty much how our entire lives were at the time. It was all about go, go, go. Get up, get started, get things done. It was like we had to power through everything that was coming our way. It’s like there was no time to just be, no time to enjoy the moment.

But now, things are different. We know how to be and how to enjoy. We know to start our day with intention and to end our day in reflection. We know the value of living our lives at a much slower pace.

Now, we take our coffee in cups, no longer travel mugs.  We sip while we watch the kids play in the driveway and our teenagers are in and out telling us about their day. Most importantly, this is a time where Brandon and I are visiting with one another. I spent so many mornings drinking coffee alone—in my car or at my desk—and I don’t have to do that by myself anymore. It may seem small, but to me, this is an outward sign of how vastly different our lives are now compared to where we used to be.

When we listed out our dreams and designed this life, I really can’t remember if “drinking coffee slowly on the front porch while I visit with Brandon” was on the list. I do remember saying we wanted to simply slow down and we wanted more time together. Can’t think of a better way to do just that!