The Simple Things That Make Life Enchanting
Adi and I have been talking a lot lately about the wonders of embracing simplicity. We awoke early today and were out the door to our favorite coffeeshop by 6:30 am. Quite a few mornings, Adi and I go to the Flying Squirrel to grab a morning cup of coffee and to do some work. Oftentimes, this is where I do my writing.
We discovered this shop in 2021 after we returned from a long stint in Costa Rica. We went to Costa Rica after thinking we may want to move there; we were on the path to do so until life stepped in. My brother passed away at 56-years-old when we were out of the country and after much soul searching, I felt it was time to come back to the States to be with the family.
When we returned from Costa Rica, we set up shop in Mansfield, Texas; the Flying Squirrel became our favorite coffee shop on Main Street. On our first visit to the shop, I was instantly taken with the owner, Amy. It was obvious she loved what she did for a living, and she was instantly welcoming to Adi and me. It wasn’t long before we were spending 3-4 mornings a week with Amy. We would talk and get to know one another over a cup of coffee, and we developed a beautiful friendship. I always thought that life was so beautiful how it could bring someone into our life that would become such a good friend when for years we didn’t even know each other. In fact, we became such good friends with Amy that we began sharing some of our health experiences with one another. Flying Squirrel became a part of our morning routine.
Something inside of me loves a good coffeeshop; I think it’s the comradery that it offers. Where some people love a bar to socialize with people, Adi and I prefer the more laidback atmosphere of a coffeeshop. A quaint shop reminds me of the times we have spent in Europe. I do my best writing in these little shops. The feeling of the people milling about, the scraps of conversations I absorb, and the interesting characters are reminiscent of Hemingway’s Paris in the 1920s. I always held high esteem for that era and coffeeshops give me a glimpse of what the Lost Generation may have been experiencing as they came of age.
It’s the romantic in me that loves the backdrop of the coffeeshop. I love spending my mornings with Adi; I love the simplicity of our life; it’s not overly grand yet it is exceptionally satisfying knowing that a simple cup of coffee and some good conversation is the perfect way to start a day. Oftentimes, Adi and I will play Uno while we drink our coffee; other times she will work, and I will write (this is one of those times).
I’ve learned that when we embrace the simple pleasures of life, life itself becomes more exciting. By illustrating contentment in simplicity, we open ourselves up to the spectacular because there is one thing I have learned: if we can’t enjoy the simple then eventually even the extraordinary will fail to elicit the gratitude it deserves.
Maybe this cleanse is creating the space for me to understand this clearer. Maybe by letting go of the past (these gallstones hold past energy, including trauma, inside of us), we open ourselves up to a future unknown that is more in alignment with who we truly are now, in this moment, as opposed to who we were when we held on to this energy that no longer serves us.
Embrace simplicity. This is our way of letting the Universe know that we are willing to be wowed by the extraordinary.
