Coffee Shops as Places of Gathering

These days it’s quite common to hang out in a coffee shop. At one point or another, most of us have stopped for a hot beverage with friends, family, coworkers, maybe even a new love interest. The role in coffee shops has no doubt shaped our lives on multiple levels. 

It’s where we go to catch up with old friends and wonder how time passes so fast. Sometimes we can feel as if the tides of time are pulling us apart through our varied experiences. To be honest – that is okay. It means we are growing. Just because people drift apart doesn’t always mean that it’s permanent.

 It’s where we go with our families on Sundays to drink coffee and hot cocoa. Where plans for the week ahead or upcoming vacations are made. Or what we are going to get (or make) as a present for a loved one. It’s where we play board games, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company.

It’s where business folks meet to discuss work. Often you’ll see them between mid-morning and just after lunch (1 p.m.). They discuss matters both great and small.  You see, anything can be planned or solved with a warm cup of coffee and a willingness to move forward. At the end of their meetings the smile (usually), shake hands, and go their own ways.

It’s where we go on first dates. You’ll know those couples when you see them. They’re shy, awkward, and flustered. Not all of them, of course, but you’ll still know them. This could be the make or break date. Will it last? It’s anyone’s guess really. By the end of their time, they’ll have an idea whether it’s going to work out. 

It’s places like this where I enjoy spending time. All these snippets of stories in the community, to witness a slice of another’s life as a fly on the wall. That’s what makes coffee shops unique.

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Sweet Sounds of Summer

It begins with the frogs. Always the frogs. A chorus of them. Their song grows steadily louder as spring melts into summer. As the days pass, more sounds blend together to form a ‘Summertime Symphony’. 

The birds many voices lend a sweet sound to the rustling of new leaves as children laugh and splash in the water. All of these add charm to the warm days and comfortable evenings spent with family and friends. In all of these little things we can find peace.

The sweet sounds of summer remind us of days gone by and to cherish every moment. Summer draws people together as families, friends, and communities. Especially around the fourth of July. 

If only we could, as a people, keep this sense of generosity and community alive no matter what the season may be. There is so much tension between people that we forget to stop and listen to not only nature, but those around us. 

Let the sounds of nature remind us to stop and smell the flowers, to listen, and become closer to those we connect with day to day.