Younger Self Coffee Trend

I’ve seen this floating around social media quite a bit so thought I would share my own version here on the blog. Mine is obviously longer than most but it still felt poetic typing this and reflecting on how much God has blessed me in the past twenty years.

I meet my 20-year-old self for coffee today.

She’s rocking some Victoria Secret Pink flared yoga pants and a University of Toledo hoodie. Her bleached blonde hair is flat ironed straight, and I’m surprised at the amount of makeup applied for a morning coffee outing. I’m in leggings, an oversized crewneck, not much make up, my not so blonde hair air dried.

We both smile, say hi, and hug. “You look beautiful” we both say at the same time. I tell her she doesn’t need all that makeup; she thanks me and smiles. She tells me I look great for pushing 40. “Thanks for the reminder” I joke but appreciate the compliment.

We get in line. She orders a Frappuccino and I order a cinnamon dolce latte with oat milk. She asked me what oat milk is, and I said I’m honestly not really sure, but it tastes better and supposedly healthier. She pulls some crumpled up bills from her giant bag and I say “no I got this” remembering how broke we are then. I slide my debit card out of my Walli Case, as I didn’t even bring a purse.

“Wow, is that your phone? It’s so big.” I laugh and say “Yea it is. Remind me what you have again?” She pulls out a pink Motorola Razr and I exclaim, “Yes, I remember this! I honestly miss having a basic phone like this sometimes.” I show her the iPhone and she recognizes the Facebook symbol saying she just signed up. I tell her it’s still relevant but quite different now.

We get our coffees and find a table. She says she’s still a little hungover from last night (Thirsty Thursday) but had fun dancing. I notice the X’s on her hands and fight back a smile. I said last night I was in bed at 8:30pm and read for an hour before lights out. After this she was headed to campus for a few classes then had the dinner shift at Applebee’s. She was also hoping to meet up with friends after work. I chuckle and say I had a few errands to run, picking up the boys from school, then probably just having a Friday night in watching a movie.

“Boys?” she asks.

“Yep, three of them!”

Her eyes get big and then she asks tentatively, “So was Ryan the one?”

“He was! Be patient. He’ll ask you eventually. I won’t spoil how.”

“Do we have our dream teaching job? I’m busting my butt in all these classes and stressing about student teaching next year. I hope this all pays off.”

“It does! You graduate and get a teaching job, I promise. Also know Mom and dad are always there for you too. They are also the best grandparents ever so look forward to that. Always make time for them.”

“As far as teaching goes, we do have 14 years under our belt. They are really great! But having children changes things and I decide to spend more time at home. Then we have some other big life changes, and I am actually not even teaching right now.”

“Whoa. Do we like being a stay-at-home mom?”

“We love it! It’s a career pause, not forever, but where my heart is right now.”

“So, do we make it to our 20-year high school reunion? I cannot believe it’s already been two years since we graduated high school. Please tell me we’re still friends with Haley, Allie, and Keely?”

“We did not go to the last reunion mostly because we moved out of state. But you’ll be very happy to hear we’re still close and try to get together a few times a year. It does look it a little different than it does now. No more Thirsty Thursdays, girl.”

“Aw, I’m so glad we’re still friends. Wait, we move out of state?! You mean we don’t live in Ohio!?”

“I know it sounds crazy. But sometimes you got to take big leaps of faith in life, and this is one of those times! Trust me, it’s an amazing part of God’s plan for us.”

“What’s it like having all boys?”

“Also, amazing!! It’s a love like no other, being a mother to sons. I know you really want a girl but being a boy mom is so special. It’s messy and chaotic, but trust me, you will absolutely love it. You’re getting your girl fix right now with Kate. Well, you still call her Katelyn. She will literally be your age before you know it so enjoy that little girl right now! She grows up beautifully though.”

“Being an aunt is the absolute best so I can’t even imagine what being a mom is like.”

“It’s more than you can ever imagine but not always what you plan for either. Our first born, Andrew, has Down syndrome.” She freezes mid sip.

“Before you get upset, hear me out. Drew’s amazing. He will change your life like you never expected. Receiving his diagnosis will be one of the hardest things you ever go through, but God shows up for this one in a major way.”

She gets a little teary and I embrace her with a hug. “I promise you it’s wonderful. Then Lucas comes along, and his ornery, energetic personality makes things so fun. Be prepared though, he lives up to the second born hype. But gosh I love that kid. He’s so genuine and kind. Growing up way too fast if you ask me. Soak it all in with that one! Owen completes our family with his creative, funny, inquisitive self. He’s at the best age, just so fun. He’ll have you wrapped around his finger by the way even if you swear he doesn’t. You’ll baby him but that’s okay because he’s your baby.”

She nods and smiles. “And Ryan?”

“I love him more each day. He’s the best father and works so hard for our family. There will be some tough times ahead with him traveling far for work but gosh is he going to accomplish and grow so much. Really proud of him. He’ll always be our best friend.”

“No more children then?”

“One, but God took her home early.” I start crying and so does she. We both hug again.

We take our last few sips of coffee. She asks quietly, “Is it scary getting older?”

“It is. You think 40 seems so far away from 20 but it gosh it goes so quick. It’s an amazing 20 years though, even with the bumps in the road. I love our life so much. As you can see, God has big things in store for us and you are in for such a fun ride!”

We walk out to the parking lot together. I see the used Mercury Sable and assure her we get an upgrade in a few years. She glances over at my well-loved minivan, and I shrug my shoulders. “Maybe I’ll have a nice new car again one day, but believe me, this is what works for us now.” She laughs and says she gets it. “So, we’re a soccer mom then?”

“We totally are. I know right now you think you’ll never give up your Saturday mornings for kid games. But you will. And you’ll love it.”

She grins and says, “I look forward to it. Thank you again for paying for my coffee. That was really nice of you.”

“Of course! I look forward to doing this again in twenty years. I just hope this time it goes much slower.”

“Me too. Because it seems wonderful,” she says.

“It really is. You are entering some of the best years of your life. Starting your career. Getting married. Growing a family. Please savor it. Always trust in God’s plan for you.”

“I will. And I think you are too. These are the prime years of your boys’ childhoods. Take the trips. Make the memories. Savor it too.”

I nod, holding back some tears. We wave goodbye once more and go our separate ways.