Tis the season

Friday night was a good night! 

While most couples were probably out to dinner, going to a movie, meeting with friends, or some other fun activity, Ben and I were running errands.  As we were leaving DSW I got a bit grumpy because I couldn’t find a pair of shoes I want.  My grumpiness proceeded to get worse as Ben kept telling me how much I didn’t need a new pair of shoes and I should work with what I have.  For those that don’t know…Ben is the one with the shoe fetish, not me. 

Anyway, as we were walking over to Whole Foods Ben started to push me in the direction of Starbucks, telling me he has a surprise for me.  In my grumpiness I informed him that I don’t want a latte and I don’t want to go.  Essentially he told me, yes you do and yes you are.  Hmph.  Fine.  So we go.  As we walk in the door I realize it happens to be my favorite day of the whole holiday season.  Forget Thanksgiving or Christmas my favorite day is the day the Starbucks “Holiday Cup” comes out.

I was so giddy that the Barista had to probably wait 5 minutes for me the blurt my order out.  Ben was doing a little dance because he knew he had just made my day.  Call me weird but for some reason I LOVE those silly cups.  It reminds me of happy times. 

Back in the day before Starbucks was so popular my mom was already obsessed with their lattes.  There were numerous days that I came home from school to find my mom at her desk experiencing an espresso buzz (add in a Coke and she was CRAZY!). 

We always went to Starbucks before a shopping trip, during errands, and so on.  Remember, this was before Starbucks was popular so we generally went at least 15 minutes out of our way for this.  A latte and a mocha/frappuccinno/macchiato/whatever sugaring drink I drank in those days always managed to put us in a happy mood.  Once they started coming out with the “Holiday Cup” our happiness level skyrocketed.  The cup marked the beginning of the holidays for us.  We were always excited to go Christmas shopping with the holiday cup in hand. 

These days, the Holiday Cup reminds me of a time when everything felt normal.  It reminds me of when my family was a cohesive unit, when Thanksgiving day and Christmas day was a happy time instead of a time where all I want to do is run away.  My parents got divorced almost three years ago now and it is still extremely difficult.  It wasn’t your normal cut and dry divorce, it lasted about 1.5 years and my parents were still living together for most of it…hating each other.  I will spare the details, maybe I will shed light on it another day, but not today.  Long story short, there are a lot of broken hearts and some major trust issues.

The holidays are slowly getting better (they tend to be filled with champagne).  There are a ton of people in my life that still make this season a wonderful time.  My mom happens to be one of those people.  In the craziness of the last couple years she and I have gotten closer.  Not to say we weren’t before but we have traveled a very long road together and it changes a person.  Even though the divorce hit her the hardest she knows, even at 26, my heart is broken too…   

Back to the Holiday Cup.  When I look at it, it makes me smile.  It tells me that there are still happy times ahead and I have a new future to look forward to.  I am extremely lucky to have a person by my side that knows that all he has to do to cheer me up is buy me a latte in a silly cup.  Hopefully, some day I will be able to share the holiday cup with a family of my own.

For the time being, I am off to help my mom with her new house…you bet there will be 2 lattes (dressed in the holiday cup) in hand!