to the barista at starbucks...

To the barista at Starbucks:

Thank you.  Your act of kindness yesterday touched me more than you know.  What a pleasant surprise to have you "take care" of my drink because you said I am always "so nice."  (Even though the fact that you can recognize me in the drive thru might point out that I need to work on my Starbucks habit.)

What you couldn't see in the few seconds I looked at you really funny and began exclaiming, "Oh my gosh! Thank you so much! You just made my day!" were the tears that nearly sprung up behind my sunglasses and the fact that you really did make my entire day.  Maybe even week.

For a lot of different reasons, life has been really difficult lately. Being "consistently nice" - another phrase you used - isn't a trait that I feel I often display, let alone hear from someone else.  Self esteem can be a huge struggle for me, yet you took the time to point out something in me that was of value to you.

Thank you.

Thank you for the reminder that we never know what someone else is going through, so we should always be kind.  Thank you for encouraging me on a manic Monday morning. Thank you for lifting me up when I was feeling down.

And most of all thank you for the delicious Cinnamon Dolce Latte and the smile it brought to my face.

SJ