CAREGIVER’S CUP OF COFFEE
“You’re faking a smile with your coffee to go…”
That’s a line from a song, “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter. It is one of the top songs on the Caregiver’s Mix that YouTube created. And one of my favorite lines in the song is that line, “You’re faking a smile with your coffee to go.” It totally resonates with me. Because as a Caregiver, I often feel like I’m faking a smile when I’ve had a bad day.
Except that Starbucks IS my Happy Place.
2 Sips of a Caramel Frappuccino and all is right in my world. It’s not just the Sugar-Caffeine Combo that uplifts my mood and adjusts my attitude—it’s the entire Starbucks “Experience.”
I’ve been told that my voice changes the moment I interact with a Starbucks Crew Member. Apparently, I sound cheerful when formerly I sounded sad. And the change in my voice is evident even over the phone.
And even over the phone, it always sounds like there is a party going on in Starbucks. The combination of the Sound System and the loud lilting voices of the Crew creates a joyful party sound. And it’s hard to be sad or mad in this environment. Those feelings always turn to happy and glad.
“Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet nor hail; nothing will stop the US Mail.” Perhaps you remember hearing a version of that little rhyme with reference to the Postal Service. Surely written by someone back East where all those elements of weather actually happen. The Postal Service may not adhere to those words anymore, but it definitely applies to me and Starbucks.
Almost every day, I walk down the hill to Starbucks no matter what the weather. It’s not a long hill—a little less than a New York City Block (not a block from your town or this town but a NY City block). It’s not that far but in the snow, it feels like a mile. My attitude changes on the walk down to Starbucks—I always feel good. Like I’m going for Coffee with a good friend.
And I never mind the wait—the longer I am away from my Caregiving situation and in my Happy Place the better. Once a Crew Member apologized for the wait to which I replied, “I only wait for my Starbucks Frappuccino.” She laughed heartily and said, “I love it! She doesn’t wait for Boys or Friends who are late—she only waits for Coffee.”
There was one day, I went through the Drive-Thru to pick up my Frappuccino. The Crew member asked through the intercom. “How are you doing today?”
“I’ll be better once I get my Starbucks. I’m my Mother’s Caregiver and she is driving me crazy!”
That was the one and only time that I allowed my Caregiving World to clash with my Happy Place by voicing the truth.
When I picked up my order from the Drive-thru window, I noticed that there was something written on my cup. In large sharpy letters it simply said, “Move!” Sage advice from the Starbucks Crew. LOL.
If only it were that easy!
Starbucks provides a Happy Place, an opportunity to let go of my Caregiver Cares and Concerns at least for a moment.
I may be faking a smile with my Coffee to go when I place the order. However, by the time I pick up my Coffee and Go, the smile is real.
And as a Caregiver, my smiles are few and far in-between.
CAREGIVER’S PLAYLIST – A Caregiver’s Conscience (caregiversconscience.com)
Bad Day Daniel Powter – YouTube
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