I had the rare opportunity to work from Starbucks for a few hours this week. I found myself watching those who walked by the window and came in through the front door. I kept wondering who they were meeting, where were they going, where did they come from. Old, young, male, female, students, business men …

I watched as they ordered their coffee and wondered what they were thinking when they took their first sip.

Our entire life is made of connections. It’s entire meaning lays in those that cross our paths – some that make a lasting impression and change the course of your life forever and others that aren’t given a second thought. Energy is exchanged even when paying for your coffee or when you make eye contact with the person walking into the grocery store behind you.

Every person has their story. Sometimes I sit and try to figure out more about a person by watching them. Who are they sitting with? Maybe this post makes me sound creepy … maybe it is creepy. I just can’t help but want to know more about people and what is in their hearts. They intrigue me.

I wonder what people think of me when I walk into Starbucks. Do I look lost or out of place? Do I look like I am on a mission or totally shambled? Probably all of the above some days. I suppose it has a lot to do with how I’m feeling that day too …

Then I think about all these connections I’ve had in my life that I don’t remember or didn’t impact me. Did I miss something? Was I supposed to learn something from someone I was too busy to notice?

Or those that make a bigger impact on your life than you ever imagined they would. The crush you can’t get out of your head, even months after your last conversation. The acquaintance who came out of no where to help you in a time of need. Or the professor that said something so profound, you still remember it to this day. Yet, you have no idea what you learned the rest of the semester. When I was at St. Norbert’s my favorite class of my four years there, was Church in Crisis. It was one of my theology credits and it confronted the “problems” in the catholic church – celibacy, homosexuality, no red meat on Fridays during Lent, etc. I can remember how the man sweat so much, his entire shirt would be soaked by the end of class. I remember that he was from Kentucky and the stories he told about his mom were hilarious. But I also remember that he professed he was a strong catholic, yet he wasn’t afraid to talk about all the controversial parts of the practice. He faced them head on. His class deeply impacted me and I bet he doesn’t even remember my name. I was only 1 of 30 students … but I sat in the back and soaked up every word he said. A connection.

What about your connections? Remember everyone is coming from some where … they are going somewhere … and they are all fighting some kind of battle. Be kind to one another. The connections we make are the single more important thing we have in this lifetime.

Love, Mel