It just so happened that I was to drive my husband to the train station ( alone!) a few days ago. This never ever happens, so to celebrate this big deal we made a mini-date of it by getting a coffee at 7 Eleven.
You know— we wanted to go high class.
Normally when I want a coffee from 7 Eleven there is a van full of kids so my husband just runs in and gets it for me. Now that it was just the hubs and me I was able to go in with him, and let me just say, I did not expect getting coffee from a convenience store to be so tricky. I thought there would just be a coffee machine and I would stick my cup underneath and hit the button.
As I glanced around looking for this coffee machine I could only see the Slushie Machine and the soda fountain so my husband grabbed my hand and led me to not a machine, but actual coffee pots! Wow, who knew it was going to be so fancy? But wait, there’s more. After I got the coffee I was shown the large creamer options, and there were three different options, I went all in with the French Vanilla. Then I noticed this mini-looking spice rack with cinnamon and nutmeg. Starting to feel overwhelmed by just how involved this simple morning coffee date could get I decided against the spices. While we were in line waiting to pay I looked over at my husband and said, “Thank you.”
Thank you for normally being the one who does this, for knowing what I like even when I forget myself, and for holding my hand. I know this was just coffee, but it felt symbolic for so much of our relationship. One small action is representative of our relationship as a whole, and while I was saying thank you for the coffee I was also saying thank you for everything.
Thank you for helping in the morning, for noticing when a kid is getting to be too much and stepping in, for lightening the mood, making jokes, for knowing me inside and out (especially when it comes to ordering my food because I really do forget what I like half the time), thank you for being the yin to my yang, the chaos to my structure, and for holding my hand in moments of uncertainty. Also, thank for helping me get that coffee because it was early in the morning, I really needed it, and who knew just how complicated and complex and cup of convenience store coffee could be.