Tag: #instantgratification

In An Instant

As I mentioned in a previous post, my daughter met up with a friend she doesn’t get to see very often. They met on the college campus last year, and the friend moved away to attend another campus. The best thing to come out of college, in my opinion, has been meeting this friend.

They stayed out late shooting pool, so her friend came home with her and crashed here. The following morning, her friend woke up and walked through the house looking for coffee. There’s no automatic brew here my love.

But I can make you a cup of coffee that’s memorable. I stood with her at the coffee bar and went through the choices. Chemex, a vessel of coffee, the French press, or a pour over. She was intrigued by the pour over and asked, “What’s a pour over?” This made my heart sing.

Bluebottle Coffee Dripper

I have a confession to make. I’d become really slack recently about taking the time to make a Chemex, or pour over for myself in the morning. I’d walk by the coffee bar, over to the tea cart and turn on the electric kettle for a cup of instant coffee. Within minutes I was sipping on a cup of rehydrated beans, sort of, and not enjoying it.

That’s just not me. I don’t do anything in an instant.

This morning I stood at the coffee bar, remembering the fascination of the friend and treated myself in the same manner as I treated her. “What’s your pleasure Barb?”

The Chemex is what I made for myself.

Photo by Purple Smith on Pexels.com

I remember the friend sitting at our kitchen table sipping the cup of coffee made by hand. The look on her face after each sip was like she had never experienced coffee like that before. I told her, “That will get you going”, and she responded with excitement, “What are we doing today?!”

Yesterday my daughter told me something her friend said about that morning at our table. She said, “Sunday morning was one the most beautiful morning’s I’ve ever had.” Those words were music to my ears and yet it also confirmed:

Beautiful moments aren’t made in an instant.

Pop the Top

What we allow to continue will continue.

That is one of my favorite quotes and one of the hardest to implement. When I was first learning how to spend time with God and pray, I would pray for patience. God had about a years worth of entertainment with me giving me more than enough to be patient about. Don’t pray for patience.

My daughter is 15 years old and wise beyond her years. She doesn’t allow people or their behaviors to affect her. Everything I preach and every quote I’ve ever said has stuck to her like glue. Now she gives me quotes and shares her strength with me daily. I strive to be more like her.

She’s active but selective with social media. Snapchat is one of her favorite tools of communication. I think it’s cool because you can show someone the expression on your face and also type a text across the screen. It’s the closest thing I’ve seen to receiving a message with emotion.

When you Snapchat someone, and they open it, which the app will reveal, it’s considered rude if you don’t Snapchat back immediately. My daughter and I  live in a drama free environment, so it’s hilarious when she dramatically says, “FINE! DON”T SNAPCHAT ME BACK YOU PEASANT!”  It’s not good if my daughter calls you a ‘peasant’.

We burst out laughing, I say a quick prayer for the poor soul who didn’t respond, and she moves on. She’ll pick up her guitar and practice for her next cover, or go do schoolwork, just whatever is on her list that needs to be accomplished that day. She’s completely over it within seconds.

You are valuable and you need to be treated as such. It’s rude to be ignored. Go over this list I try to live by and make sure the people you’ve allowed in, live up to the list. Do they love you, motivate you, encourage you, inspire you, enhance you and bring you joy? If not…I’ll hold the can of Whoop A, and you pop the top.

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