HOT chocolate

I got the wrong drink today at Starbucks. I had extra time this morning. My hair did (somewhat) what I wanted it to do. I had picked out my clothes the night before. I got the kids to school on time. I ate a nutritious breakfast, answered emails, even started a load of laundry to be finished later. I visited my Grandma, bought a few things needed at the Walgreens, and then...feeling good at being accomplished and early, I allowed myself the guilty pleasure of a tall...nonfat...caramel macchiato. Ahhhh, the steaming espresso poured over foaming warm milk drizzled with caramel...mmmmm.

I should have noticed something was up when I was handed my drink. The cup was a grande instead of my usual tall, and I even mentioned it, but the barrista said, "Oh well, enjoy!" I counted my good fortune and headed off to the shop. Queen came on the radio, and since I couldn't sip AND sing, and Queen's "Somebody To Love" requires I belt it out!, I waited till I got to work to taste my coffee.

Then I realized..."I know caramel macchiato, and you sir, are NO caramel macchiato!" Ick. Hot chocolate. Not a coffee bean in sight! Argh! (Not knocking hot chocoate, mind you, but when I think Starbucks, and $3.50!, I'm thinking caffeine.)

Now, if I had driven back over to Starbucks, I would have been greeted with an apology, a new coffee, and probably a free coupon for next time...I KNOW my Starbucks. Then I thought, nah...if you think about it, life is just like this wrong cup of coffee. I'm gonna sip this dang hot chocolate and remind myself that if you look for it, life will teach you its little lessons.

Not everything goes according to plan. In fact, it's sometimes the small detours, the wrong turns we didn't mean to make, the inconviences thrown our way, that form our character. So I ordered caramel macchiato and got hot chocolate. I did get a grande instead of a tall. I am having a great morning. And I'm not going to allow something so insignificant to ruin my good mood.

We go throught his life once, and we had better enjoy it. Because enjoy it or don't enjoy it: It's over before you know it. So the blouse you wanted to wear today didn't get washed. Or the baby burped up all over your dress right before church service and you have no time to change. Or your hair decides to fall flat the moment the photographer snaps the picture. These things happen. These kinds of mishaps used to really concern me, because I used to worry about my reputation, what people thought of me. As I get older I realize that while that may seem important, what's really important is your character. My Grandma read me a quote this morning about the difference between reputation and character. "Care less about your reputation because that's what people THINK you are and more about your character, because that's who you REALLY are."

And who I really am is a person enjoying this hot chocolate.