On a three day trip to Little Rock, Arkansas, my wife and I sat in an open air coffee shop near the River Market District enjoying the morning.
With the children in Tennessee for a week with my parents, we were celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary. For nine of those years, my wife has lived with Dermatomyositis. So, we relish in these rare escapes.
As we whiled away this cool, spring morning, we noticed a dog show/race taking place on a blocked off street, just a hundred feet away. The dogs were pretty and obviously well-trained, but the owners were far more amusing.
Slowing down to “relax and receive” mode, I was better able to eavesdrop on the conversations around me. Lots of normal chit chat, but it did occur to me that newlywed couples have entirely different conversations than not-so-newlyweds. Over the course of 18 years, our conversations have covered moves, children, friends, degrees, jobs, social commentary, spiritual growth, chronic illness, and on and on. Time and experience do change things. And, I’m sure our conversations and perspective might sound silly to a couple who has been married for 50 years.
Sipping on above average mochas and eating carefully crafted croissants, we developed an appreciation for these eccentric coffee shop owners. Meticulously, she prepared each item, while a man who appeared to be her husband and co-owner chatted it up with customers.
And as we commented on what we saw and heard, we were thankful.
Thankful for 18 years. Grateful for the good and the bad. And appreciative of a cool, spring morning in an open air coffee shop in downtown Little Rock.
Worth Repeating
Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
-Marcel Proust
