Pocket of Peace

I woke up to a power outage today. After manually opening & closing my garage door, I left my house to get my morning warm caffeine beverage. I ran into the aftermath of a car accident and police blocking off my way out of my neighborhood. So I went to Andy’s Market for coffee. The barista there used to have his own coffee shop in Sausalito for years. It was such a delicious and beautifully poured latte. As he served me, he asked his coworkers to go check that those involved in the accident were ok and see if they needed anything. My heart is often warmed by the community & kindness I experience at Andy’s.

A woman in line ahead of me told me about traveling all over to see her son’s incredible soccer team play. The cashier across the way called out that it was great to see me today, even though I also saw him yesterday.

I sneezed a few times as I do when walking with coffee into the sunshine. Then sat and sipped my coffee calmed by the sounds of the Loch Lomond Marina.

There were two groups of elders gathered at the tables on either side of me in the outdoor seating area. Christmas music played and I eventually softened to it and accepted that it is the season for it. A gift of spending time in the world by myself is noticing all the details around me. A kind-looking grandpa walked slowly in a zig-zag pattern following the curiosity of his toddler granddaughter. A tired-looking mom emptied her bag on a nearby table and rummaged through many papers. Everyone minding their own business and doing their lives.

I’m grateful for this pocket of peace and the glimpse of local humanity I enjoyed with my morning coffee today.