Lesson from a latte

 As March swoops in (with sunny days here in Cleveland!), I'm starting to Slice, feeling very out of shape. My writerly muscles are fairly strong, as I write tons of words for my job. Yet my Slicing muscles are weak as can be, like stepping out of bed after a day of fighting COVID - shaky ankles, loose core, grabbing for the door jamb before you topple over. Slicing this month is the chance to reconnect with small moments, the little pieces of life that flit away, but if I could only create and gather them, they'd create a beautiful quilt (perhaps to comfort me in that COVID bed!).

My phone's photos are a beautiful source for those small moments, so I'm going to be extra alert to the visuals that inspire stories. 

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I pulled into the Starbucks in Sturgis, Michigan with just 90 seconds to go before I needed to be on a Zoom call. But where was my laptop charger? In the car! So I hustle back out, and now I'm certain to be at least a minute late... grrrr. Frustrated with myself, I send a quick text to my client (a stressed out superintendent feeling the pressure to be more strategic, when every day held a half-dozen crisis moments), and she needs 5 minutes. Ahhhh, the chance to order a latte! I step up to the empty counter and order quickly, opening my app to pay, double-checking my texts, eyeing my laptop to see if it's charging. I fold a dollar into the tip jar, and more quickly to the end of the counter, eyes still down on my phone.

It's not crowded, so the barista quickly calls out "latte for Lisa" and I grab my cup, glancing down to see if I'll need a lid. And I see this milky heart, floating in the gentle foam of my latte. I stop, and take a breath. Eyes up to the barista, and say "Thank you, I needed that heart." I get a quick thumbs up that feels like he's saying "All in a day's work" then head to my seat. I put the coffee down (OK, I do sip first!), and take a deep breath. In... out... in... out... My heart settles, aligned to my breathing, and I'm calmer. Ready to be more emotionally present and even for my client. I take another sip and am grateful for those extra minutes. That my charger is working. That I got a heart at just the right time.

Another breath in.. and out. A gratitude lesson from a latte.