It’s sunrise at the beach. Is anything more glorious? Richard and I love our home. But we loved and looked forward to this vacation at the beach each year. I have looked so forward to coming this year and I’m so thankful I came. While making new memories with our girls, I have had time to reflect over our time together here and on other vacations over the past several decades.

One realization I have had while here is around coffee. Several years ago we bought a Keurig coffee maker for our home; so no left over coffee in a pot. Before this, we would set our coffee pot to brew while we slept. There’s not much that compares to waking up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee. The condo where we stay at the beach has a traditional coffee maker. While here we brew our coffee and enjoy several cups while getting ready for our day. One of the best things about vacation is getting to leisurely sip on coffee without the sense of urgency in our day to day lives. In years past, we would sit at the dining table or on the porch drinking coffee and planning our day while enjoying the beautiful beach view.

This year I have done many of the same things. Enjoyed my coffee, planned my day, taken in the wondrous ocean view. But strangely (or so it seemed), for the past three days I’ve had to throw leftover coffee out. Now if you know me, you know I’m a coffee drinker. I keep saying to myself, “wow I can’t believe you didn’t finish this coffee.”

Then the realization hit me. I was making coffee for Richard too. Not in a conscious way – but more of “that’s the way we’ve always done this.”

I’m not writing this post to be sad or gloomy. If anything it is to remind myself and others to:

*try to catch a few sunrises here and there

*take time to slow down and enjoy life at a more leisurely pace every now and then

*never take the small things in life for granted; trust me they will become the big things at some point if you are lucky enough to have had a significant relationship

*take time to enjoy your coffee (or other morning beverage)