Today the weather is beautiful so I stopped by my favorite little coffee shop near campus. Naturally because it’s the best place in the world EVERY table was taken. So I asked this girl sitting on the old beat up couch (I adore that couch) if anyone was sitting at the table next to her. Her stuff was in one of the chairs and she said no and she went to move it for me. 

“Don’t worry about it,” I said, “I’ll only be here for about 15 minutes.”

Then I sat down and started doodling in my little notebook. The girl looked up at me and said, “Is it sunny and beautiful outside?”

“It is so fantastic out that I put on shorts just to come up here and walk to this coffee shop.”

She ran her fingers through her hair looking a little anxious. “I’ve been here all day,” she said and smiled a little.

“Don’t worry. That’s me as well most days.”

I went back to doodling in my book and I looked up and this girl just looked really DONE with studying. You know. The kind of done where you just look at someone and you’re like this person is 2 pages away from a break down.

So I said, “You look a little burnt out.”

“I am.”

“Well do you want to go outside with me and take a little walk for five minutes? It really is beautiful.”

And she said yeah and we left all our stuff and went for a walk down the street and I learned a lot about her. She’s kind of in the same boat I am with wanting a minor based on passion (here’s looking at you Philo Minor) and being a first generation college student. 

We talked a lot about being passionate about your major and even the small parts of life. That really resonated with me because I have been really really down on myself lately. We got down to the end of the street and I said, “Listen, I drove all the way up here today for a walk and a five dollar cup of coffee. I was probably supposed to meet you today so you wouldn’t be so stressed about your test.” 

She said, “Yes the universe probably knew.”

It felt like I was talking to myself when she said that. She had no idea what that meant. The universe knew I needed it too.

When we got back I grabbed my stuff and told her good luck and I hope she felt better.

She said I was a wonderful human being.

I’ve needed a little validation in that for so many weeks and she just plain said it, unprompted.

I won’t use her name because I don’t have her permission to, but it’s people like her that I’m talking about when I preach to all of you to be gentle with the world.

If I hadn’t made myself the type of person that wants to nurture the minds around me then I wouldn’t have met such a sweet human being. Other people probably would’ve left her there to pull her hair out before her exam. Don’t be that type of person. Love on other people simply because they exist.

Love others and celebrate often.

XOXO

NBNealie