It's November 10, which means I am on my tenth reason to be thankful. Today's thankful thought was brought on by my friend. She took her daughter to get her first coffee drink and shared the sweet moment with us. When I saw the picture of her daughter holding a warm cup of peppermint mocha it brought me back to my first taste of coffee with my mom.
Going to the mall with my mom was a special treat. Growing up we were all so busy. For a long time my mother acted like a single parent taking care of three children while my father worked two back- to -back jobs. His part-time job bordered on full-time hours. My mom had to clothe us, feed us, get us to school and still make sure we made it to dance classes and baseball practices. We also threw Girl Scouts and Camp Fire Girls in the mix for good measure. As the oldest child I missed having my mom to myself, so a trip to our mall with only her made my world go round.
Many a mall trip would result in a stop at The Beanery. It was this little coffee shop in the mall with just a counter and a register. My aunts and uncle claimed it as coffee gold and my mouth watered whenever I stopped by with them. The aroma of fresh brewed coffee would fill my nose and make me just want to try one little taste. The request was always met with, "I'm sorry, but you're too young." Then there was that one special trip...
We made our usual pit stop at The Beanery after walking through the mall and stopping in at the Franklin Mint. I loved gazing at the beautiful porcelain dolls they sold. My mom was ordering something delicious. Darn it, I was old enough to try it this time! To my delight my mom walked me to a bench so we could sit, relax and talk. We chatted, she sipped, and we chatted some more. Then she handed me the cup. Giddy was the way to describe it. Finally, she noticed that I was old enough to have coffee just like her.
It was decaf...that's why!
"Finish it. It's yummy," she told me. Oh was she correct. At the bottom of the cup was a milky brown liquid with what looked like a swirl of chocolate mixed in. I had my first taste of mocha! That was it- I was hooked. I sipped the last of the mocha concoction until was gone, licked my lips, and grinned up at my mom. She smiled back at me. Then we stood up and continued to walk through the mall, looking at Yankee Candle. When we came across this store it mean that our trip was almost over.
Getting in the car I licked my lips one more time, savoring the chocolately coffee taste while gazing up at the moon through the car window. In that moment I knew I'd never forget having my first coffee with my mom. The experience is like a precious gem that I have tucked away safe and sound, but enjoy taking out to admire every now and then.
Every minute with my mother is a gift, and everyday I am thankful for each and every moment with her. Even the coffee filled ones.
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