I work part-time for a little coffeehouse. Days spill over with the toasty smells of coffee beans, learning the differences between a latte and a Capaccino, doing my best to memorize all the "regulars", and watching from behind the bar while the latest news flits around a table, connections spark, and even a few tears are cried. 

The American coffee shop has become something of an icon...or maybe a stereotype to play off of in a hundred different ways. Where I work, we serve more than coffee. Experiences come free. 

Experiences are what we make of them. Grabbing a coffee can mean anything from ordering ahead and dashing out the door for work with an extra shot of espresso, to finding your favorite chair in the corner and sipping something chocolaty and sweet while you catch up with a friend. Coffee shops are a quick burst of energy, or an hour of quiet. They are a place where you make new friends, connect with old ones, and anchor an hour out of the week to stabilize and remember that it's okay to bless yourself with the gift of community.

Little things. 

I take the little things for granted, thinking that making my bed, scraping frost from the windshield, hugging my little brother in the mornings, or teaching my sister how to make cinnamon rolls, is too small and insignificant to make a difference. 

Unless I make them something bigger and celebrate the swirl of foamy milk in a latte, or the last drip of glaze on a scone, or smile big and wish every customer "the best day ever" and really truly mean it.

Life is really just a thousand little things put together. Make them matter. Look for the extra chocolate chip in your cookie. Or better yet, be the one to put it there. (Poetic, right?) ;)

What is your take on coffee shops? Do you have a favorite drink? Let's chat!