“Before I love someone else, I’ve got to love myself.” Recognize that line from the song “Save Myself” by Ed Sheeran? Or maybe you have heard “Lose You To Love Me” by Selena Gomez? Those two songs talk about loving yourself before you get into a romantic relationship.
But how do I love myself, and why is it important to love yourself before going into a relationship? Like a lot of teens, I have questions on this topic, so I decided to invite my crazily artistic, fun-loving and beautiful aunt to coffee to talk about it.
Hannah Johnson has an undergraduate degree in psychology and was recently accepted into Gonzaga to pursue a masters in school counseling and become a licensed professional counselor. We decided to go to The Garden Coffee and Local Eats, and she brought along her 5-year-old son, Oakley, who was kind enough to take our picture for this story. The coffee was so good! I was trying hard to focus on the subject at hand, but my mind would go back to my delicious blended mocha.
Hannah wisely approached this subject with a definition.
”I think it’s important to define self love as valuing yourself as a whole and having confidence in who you are; it’s important to recognize that it’s different from simply comparing yourself to others or being self-focused,” she said. “Some people think it’s narcissistic, but it’s really just having a value of yourself and where you’re at. Self love is just a healthy view of yourself; it’s healthy for everybody.”
Hannah Johnson and Kylie Johnson enjoy chilly beverages and meaningful conversation at The Garden Coffee and Local Eats (prior to recent COVID-19 restrictions). Photo credit: Oakley Johnson, 5-year-old master photographer
How could I build my self love? Like a lot of people, I can be pretty hard on myself, and I could work on building my self-compassion. Hannah gave multiple great points, such as following positive accounts on Instagram, doing fun leisure activities and building social connections.
“Your peers can influence you even more than a trusted adult, parent or guardian,” she said. “If your peers are not boosting your self-esteem, then you need to notice that and maybe put some distance there.”
What does self love look like when you’re ready to go into a romantic relationship? Hannah listed three areas to get right first. The first one is self kindness; don’t criticize yourself for your flaws. Then you need to realize your common humanity, which is that everyone makes mistakes and acknowledging the weaknesses you have makes you human. The final step is mindfulness, which is to be aware of negative self talk. All of us can grow in an area or two, but that’s no reason to beat yourself up about it.
Wait … if you don’t love yourself and you dive into a romantic relationship, is that really a bad thing? How would it affect the relationship? Would it affect the relationship?
”It can totally affect your relationship because if you don’t recognize your own self worth then you can begin to expect others to fill that hole,” she said. “You also won’t be able to protect yourself and stand up for yourself in tough situations.”
“Some people think it’s narcissistic, but it’s really just having a value of yourself and where you’re at. Self love is just a healthy view of yourself; it’s healthy for everybody.”
Hannah Johnson
Hannah also said that if your self love is at an unhealthy spot it will negatively affect both sides of the relationship. One person will need to take more than they can give, which is exhausting for both people.
That makes sense, but what should I do if I’m in a relationship when one person does not have a healthy amount of self love? Hannah suggested that in these seasons, the healthier partner needs to have sensitivity and awareness and help the other person practice self love. Self love isn’t going to be natural for everybody. If it’s at a really unhealthy point, then you may need to break it off and give them time to focus on themselves. If they are hurting themselves, then it will be harder but still be the right thing to do.
”In the end, everyone is responsible for their own actions,” Hannah said.
If you need to work on self love and you’re in a romantic relationship, you need to realize that it’s not selfish to take time to yourself and break it off, if that’s what you feel like you need to do. You should know that it’s not the other person’s responsibility to carry your negative self talk burden and that you can’t rely on them to feel good. In either situation, it’s never bad to go and talk to a counselor or someone you trust so they can give you input.
Hannah and I sure had some deep conversations about this topic while little Oakley played on his tablet and my phone. Our drinks were amazing, and I absolutely loved the vibe and atmosphere of The Garden. It was a great place to just share a treat with a loved one and talk. I learned so much more about this topic because of Hannah and give her much thanks. I’m glad I could show myself a little love with the blended mocha and whether it’s with a coffee or just giving myself grace, I think I’m going to start treating myself more often.
Guest contributor Kylie Johnson is a freshman at Mica Peak High School in Spokane Valley. She drinks blended mochas, eats ice cream by the pint and plans to marry Five Seconds of Summer drummer Ashton Irwin. Until they get the chance to actually meet, she is focusing on self-compassion.
While you’re here, would you do me a favor?
If you enjoy articles like this one, join the CoffeeJosh mailing list. It’s hurry-free, spam-free and also free … free. As a thanks, I’ll send you a PDF — you guessed it, free — that has 10 of the best coffee shop orders in the Spokane area. (All 10 are drinks and treats local coffee shop owners make for themselves. In this case, expect to pay for your order and feel like it was totally worth it.)
Three things a Valley trio learned opening a coffee shop far from home
Before they wanted to quit 5,000 times, a trio of Spokane Valley residents set out to open a coffee shop in Costa Rica. Since that moment nearly three years ago, a combination of perseverance and “pura vida” resulted in the popular San Ramon destination, Elements Coffee House.
It’s a decision that has impacted thousands of lives for good: The team of eight local employees they treat like family; the community of Ticos (Costa Ricans) who pack the venue for their most important celebrations; the Gringos (expats) who have found “a perfect combination of the comforts of home with the taste of Costa Rica,” as one five-star reviewer put it.
The layout of Elements Coffee House …
… includes beautiful second-floor views.
The coffee house and adjoining TEN Degrees Coffee Roasters have enjoyed acclaim for excellent customer service and sourcing local ingredients and products. Even so, Spokane Valley’s Kent and Dina Johnson and partner Malcolm Wicks will tell you there are far less time-consuming — and far more lucrative — ways to achieve ROI than Costa Rican cafes.
“We thought about closing it 5,000 times, 20 times a day,” Kent said.
For Kent, perhaps it was the fact he worked remotely for his full-time “real job” at Liberty Lake-based Itron while simultaneously building a coffee shop from scratch in a foreign country. (The Johnsons lived in Costa Rica from February 2012 to June 2019.)
For Malcolm, maybe it was the three-week window he chiseled to be away from his Spokane Valley coffee businesses to travel to Costa Rica, set up the shop and train employees — only to have all the equipment he needed stuck in customs until the day after he returned home. (Malcolm owns Grinders Coffee and its next door roaster, Bumper Crop Coffee, at 14505 E. Trent Ave.)
For Dina, it might have been the hundreds of hours waiting in line at third-world government offices to meet always-shifting requirements and obtain ever-elusive approvals. On one such occasion, a contextual misunderstanding of the Spanish word “timbre” had her thinking she needed to complete an application by providing the clerk with a doorbell. The woman was actually asking Dina for a 10-cent stamp, and eventually cleared up matters by providing it for her.
“I’m so thankful she had one, because I probably would have gone down to the hardware store and actually brought back a doorbell to give to her, because it seriously would not have surprised me,” Dina said.
Not that this marathon of hurdles has seen its finish line. In the week of our November interview, the Spokane Valley owners were troubleshooting a wonky ice machine from 3,200 miles away and finalizing details for a vacationing friend-of-a-friend to deliver a commercial grade kitchen mixer to Costa Rica as an extra suitcase.
Has it all been worth it? If life is to be measured on a spreadsheet, the jury is out. But like explaining that perfect cup of coffee, there are layers of this experience that run deeper: notes of deep fulfillment and accomplishment, fresh textures of the human experience, and — best of all — a richness in relationship.
So here are three of Kent, Dina and Malcolm’s favorite takeaways from their experience — in case, you know, you don’t get around to opening a coffee shop in Costa Rica yourself.
1. Embrace the ‘Pura Vida’ perspective
Ask an American teenager, and Pura Vida is a bracelet company. But in Costa Rica, it’s everything. Translated with expressions like “pure life,” “positive vibes” and “no worries,” it serves as an aloha-like greeting, but it’s also used as an attitude-checking response to the ups and downs of living.
“We used it a lot when we came up against those different obstacles, like, ‘Pura Vida, what are you going to do about it? This is life, and you have to just accept it and walk through it,’” Dina explained.
But it’s more than a Costa Rican spin on the “no worries” catchphrase — it’s regularly lived out in the culture.
When Malcolm was in Costa Rica for three weeks, unable to do any of the most pressing tasks on his itinerary, he was staying with the 25-year-old manager of Elements Coffee House, Jeanka, a longtime family friend of the Johnsons.
In Malcolm’s own words, Jeanka got to see the “chop-chop-chop” American culture coming out of him: “I was raving about something, not happy with how things were going, and he was like, ‘Look, man, there’s only one thing in life you can’t fix.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, what’s that?’ And he said, ‘Death.’ That was his response to me getting wound up. … It made me sit back and put things in perspective. Nobody’s dying, so yeah, I do need to chill out a little bit.”
Not that Jeanka lacks zeal for his work.
“He is passionate about things, but I’ve also heard him say a number of times, ‘Well, what can I do about that?’” Kent recalled. “And literally if there is nothing you can do about it, then why do you freak out about it and spend that much energy on it?”
“Pura Vida”: Perhaps another translation is “lower blood pressure.”
Elements Coffee House in San Ramon, Costa Rica is owned by Spokane Valley partners Kent and Dina Johnson and Malcolm Wicks.
2. Ask yourself if you need it
About 90 percent of Costa Rican coffee is exported. The 10 percent that remains for local consumption is affectionately referred to by Ticos as “the garbage,” Kent explained. Not to be fooled, the coffee that doesn’t pass muster for export is still very good, and it’s widely consumed as part of a true “coffee culture.”
“The toddlers drink coffee; (people) drink it all day and all night,” Kent said.
They enjoy this “garbage” with milk and sugar, if available, or drink it black. Skimping on unnecessary ingredients is part of a cultural value of getting by simply.
When Malcolm moved in with Jeanka for his first three-week stint in country, the young man lacked a refrigerator. Malcolm wondered how he would store the groceries during his stay, so he bought Jeanka a fridge. Two or three days later, Malcolm approached Jeanka about the rag they used to wipe down the glass door on the apartment shower.
“I said, ‘Jeanka, we need to go get you a squeegee and wipe this down with a squeegee,’” Malcolm said. “What’s a squeegee — three bucks? … And he was like, ‘Look man, if you don’t have it, you don’t need it.’ That was his response. And it’s just the way they live.”
Look man, if you don’t have it, you don’t need it.
Jeanka, Manager of Elements Coffee House
The response made a deep impression, causing Malcolm to wish this minimalist perspective would not only rub off on him, but on the America he would soon be re-entering.
For Malcolm, the lesson was more than a conviction about personal consumption. He also noticed this perspective caused people to treat one another with greater humanity. While there isn’t a middle class to speak of in Costa Rica, the rich and poor seem to coexist without stigma, not measuring their human success in terms of wealth.
“There’s a different way than what we typically see done, and it’s OK,” Malcolm said. “It’s like, ‘If you need it and I have it, then it’s yours.’”
3. Place proper priority on relationships
In Costa Rican coffee culture, you don’t grab and go; you sit and talk, Dina explained.
“Every day, they drink at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock; it’s coffee hour for them,” she said. “It’s relational. This is what they do. They invite you over for coffee.”
The busiest day of the year for Elements Coffee House? Mother’s Day. Indeed, the culture seems intent on making a statement that people are not part of a checklist, but simply the priority that will always trump the checklist. In this way, the coffee and relational aspects of Costa Rican culture are linked.
Living with Costa Rican neighbors for seven years, the Johnsons’ decision to move back to Spokane Valley in June caused no shortage of mourning for the relationships that had been formed. Perhaps the hardest goodbye was to their longtime neighbors, Jeanka’s family.
“The dad was just sitting by the curb and crying,” Kent recalled. “He just said thanks for all you have done for Jeanka.”
Malcolm Wicks and Kent Johnson, at left, tour a Costa Rican coffee farm with its owner (standing) and Jeanka, the now 25-year-old manager of Elements Coffee House.
While Malcolm was never a longtime resident of the country, Jeanka’s family left a similar impression on him. On his first day in Costa Rica, Jeanka asked him what he wanted to be sure to do or see on his visit. His only request: An authentic meal. Jeanka said he would have his mom cook him something, and then Malcolm thought he must have forgotten about it, because he didn’t hear another thing about it the entire three weeks.
While eating dinner on his final night before returning to the States, Jeanka suddenly showed up and interrupted the meal.
“We got to go to my mom’s right now,” he announced. “My brother is coming to pick us up.”
Malcolm asked if they could just say goodbye to her in the morning before heading to the airport.
“No, you don’t understand,” Jeanka shook his head. “She cooked; we got to go.”
An hour later, Malcolm walked into the humble Costa Rican home.
“It dawned on me at that point what had transpired over the course of the last three weeks. It literally took her three weeks to source the ingredients she wanted to prepare this one meal for me,” Malcolm said, explaining how she had likely had to save money to purchase some of the ingredients and bartered for others. “In that moment, it was the best food I’d ever eaten, and I sat there and bawled for probably 15 minutes in front of this lady I’d met once. But she understood it; Jeanka understood. And the bond with that family for my family will never be broken.”
In the Beginning
The makings of an unlikely Costa Rican coffee partnership
Malcolm Wicks spent the better part of four hours scaring his friends away from the coffee business.
The owner of Grinders Coffee and its next-door roaster, Bumper Crop Coffee, at 14505 E. Trent Ave., Malcolm knows firsthand how complicated and financially uncertain the industry is in Spokane Valley, let alone Costa Rica.
Kent Johnson showed up for that February 2017 conversation in the Bumper Crop loft with “four or five questions” connected to his dream of opening a coffee shop in San Ramon, Costa Rica, with his wife, Dina.
“I left with the biggest pit in my stomach I’ve ever had in my life,” he recalled.
Dina could see the reality check written all over his face.
“He came home to me, and he said, ‘We don’t know what we’re doing. There’s no way we can do this. We do not know enough,’” Dina remembered. “And he said, ‘I think we just need to hold off on this.’”
Kent’s recollection was even more blunt: “I was done.”
He prayed about it that evening, effectively handing the dream off to the Lord with the acknowledgement that resuscitation would require a miracle.
At approximately 9:30 the next morning, he received a text message. The dream was back on.
* * *
Malcolm and Kent first connected on Newman Lake in the 1990s over a shared love of wakeboarding. As their families grew, so did their friendship. Highlights include the year Malcolm’s wife, Dani, had the Johnsons’ daughter in her fourth grade class. The families spent years barbecuing and snowboarding together before Kent and Dina vacationed to Costa Rica in June 2011 — and fell in love with the country. By the following February, Kent had gained permission to work his Itron HR job remotely, and the Johnson family became full-time residents in the hills northwest of San Jose.
Since their first trip in 2011, Kent and Dina Johnson’s Costa Rica experience has been a family affair, shared with two adult children (27 and 24), and their two youngest sons, ages 14 and 10.
The fateful meeting with Malcolm came five years into their Costa Rican adventure, with the Johnsons well along in the process of investing in a local business. They had looked into vacation homes and private car rentals, but nothing appealed to them quite like the idea of starting a coffee shop. On a vacation to visit family and friends back in Spokane Valley, Kent looked to his friend Malcolm to help sharpen the idea.
“I left the meeting going, ‘Those guys are going to fail. They can’t do this,’” Malcolm said. “My whole mission was to talk them out of doing it.”
But then a strange thing happened. He found himself thinking about how some of the best coffee in the world is farmed 30 minutes up the hill from the Johnsons’ proposed venture, how he owned a backup roaster that was just taking up space in the Bumper Crop shop, how many of the pitfalls awaiting his business-savvy friends were tied to their lack of coffee experience — experience he had in spades.
“The next morning I woke up, and I said, ‘Dani, I think we should try to partner with these guys and do this down there,’” Malcolm said. “I was thinking she would be like, ‘What? Why would we do that? We don’t want to get involved in that.’ But she was just like, no hesitation, black and white, ‘Yeah, I think you should do that. That’s a great idea.’ So I took that as like, ‘OK, I should at least propose this.’”
And he sent a text.
Coffee Notes
When we met in November in the loft of Malcolm Wicks’ Bumper Crop Coffee on Trent, he had just finished roasting a batch of beans from China. My first experience with the rare Chinese coffee industry, these beans showed hints of blueberry and left me wanting to waltz into Malcolm’s roastery more often.
Kent and Dina Johnson’s favorite coffee in the world is, of course, their own TEN Degrees variety. The beans are purchased 30 minutes up the hill from a collection of small farms that specialize in growing high-altitude Arabica coffee in Costa Rica’s famous West Valley growing region. The Johnsons roast the beans at TEN Degrees, which has its own space next to Elements Coffee House in San Ramon.
For coffee that doesn’t require travel to Central America, the Johnsons recommend picking up one of their two favorite Bumper Crop single origin roasts: Santa Rosa (from Honduras) and Sidamo (a popular coffee-growing region in Ethiopia). Find them at bumpercropcoffee.com.
Huge thanks to Dina and Kent Johnson for sharing their Costa Rican adventures with me, as well as Malcolm Wicks (not pictured) — Josh Johnson (soccer jersey: Borussia Dortmund)
While you’re here, would you do me a favor?
If you enjoy articles like this one, join the CoffeeJosh mailing list. It’s hurry-free, spam-free and also free … free. As a thanks, I’ll send you a PDF — you guessed it, free — that has 10 of the best coffee shop orders in the Spokane area. (All 10 are drinks and treats local coffee shop owners make for themselves. In this case, expect to pay for your order and feel like it was totally worth it.)
This summer, I started experiencing symptoms of anxiety I have come to refer to as “Panic! At The VSCO.” But “Stranger Things” happened, and now I have high, high hopes.
Yeah, maybe I should explain.
It all started when my two daughters, ages teen and tween, began adopting the term, “VSCO Girl” (pronounced like “disco” with a “v”). Were they becoming VSCO Girls? Were they Mean-Girling VSCO Girls? What even is a VSCO Girl?
Scrambling for clues, I would walk into a room and exclaim something like, “You two seem to be having a regular VSCO ball in here!”
“Sksksk,” they would respond. “And I oop-!”
Before “Stranger Things,” I might have been flummoxed by this foreign language. But then I remembered these same daughters and I dig-dug out my Nintendo 64 this summer to play classics like Galaga and Pac-Man, a video game session inspired by the the hugely popular Netflix show set in the ‘80s of my childhood. (I mean, it’s one thing for me to think the circa 1984 “Palace Arcade” scenes were rad, but the kids were stoked to the max! And so outwardly I was all, “Have a cow, kids, you are barfing me out.” But inside I was like, “Psych! This is wicked tubular. We can veg like homies!”)
If this Netflix generation can embrace things important to a Gen Xer like me, surely I could walk a mile in platform VSCO Vans.
But I would need a Dustin. Fortunately for me, one of the region’s leading VSCO instructors is my niece. At 16, Rachel Kimberley is versed in VSCO vernacular, but she also can speak the language of fragile, elderly uncles. When she was just 10, she baby-stepped me through the confusion and betrayal I experienced during that whole Prince Hans plot twist in “Frozen.”
Up for another challenge, Rachel agreed to teach me the ways of the VSCO. Knowing this wouldn’t be easy, she enlisted the help of fellow VSCO sensei and Central Valley High School student, Ali Hassett.
From left, Ali Hassett and Rachel Kimberley served as VSCO instructors
“A VSCO Girl is someone who fits a certain aesthetic,” Rachel began.
And with that, the girls barely took a breath breaking down the VSCO bona fides of beachy bracelets and Birkenstocks, shell necklaces and scrunchies, Hydro Flasks and hair in a messy bun, AirPods and oversized T-shirts — “with shorts under them, so you can’t tell they are wearing pants,” Ali explained, adding that the whole vibe is “supposed to look effortless, but you put a lot of effort into it.”
“Yeah, like you have to make it perfect, but you say, ‘just woke up,’” Rachel agreed.
Not that the girls are complaining, as apparently this VSCO thing has really taken off.
“It’s nice to have it be trendy to not look super nice all the time, to be able to wear shorts and T-shirts and still be considered trendy,” Ali said. “You can look more natural, have your hair in a bun, and that’s kind of cool.”
This particular craze has its roots in a photo editing app called VSCO that is known for accentuating a laid-back, beach day feel with its photo filters. (Helpful tip: The app’s most popular filters are probably C1, F2 and G3, so I would totally start there if you ever find yourself across the table from a VSCO Girl, playing Battleship.)
Unlike Instagram and similar social media sites, VSCO photos shared within the app cannot be “liked” or commented upon. This adds a level of purity to the VSCO allure. VSCO Girls have a look, but they are unpretentious about it.
In fact, VSCO Girls are often quite outward-focused and practical, particularly when it comes to environmental causes. In online caricatures especially, however, VSCO Girls can be portrayed as annoying, with over-the-top references to catchphrases like “sksksk,” “and I oop-” and “#savetheturtles” (see “VSCO Vocab,” below).
“The good part is that some people actually want to save the turtles, like there’s actual VSCO girls that fight to save turtles, like no joke, so that’s kind of cool,” Rachel said.
So cool that Rachel and Ali would self-identify as VSCO Girls?
“I feel like we’re VSCO, but some people have a certain personality that goes with it, and we just don’t have that personality,” Rachel said of the exaggerated representations.
Ali said there is a style of VSCO that is more pure and pragmatic, like her cheerleader friend who is collecting plastic bottles to bring attention to trash in the ocean and its impact on endangered species.
“If (VSCO) had started as not being annoying, I would definitely want to embrace it more,” Ali said.
Extreme typecasts aside, both girls embrace the practical, easygoing and purposeful aspects of VSCO wholeheartedly, and Ali in particular.
“But I don’t say, ‘And I oop-’ unless I’m joking around,” she laughed.
By the end of our conversation, Rachel and Ali had not only put my mind at ease about my daughters’ VSCO sensibilities but had gained an ambassador. Emboldened by the lesson of “Stranger Things,” I suggested that perhaps older folks should break out a few VSCO moves ourselves.
“If my mom started wearing shell necklaces and big T-shirts, I would be like, ‘What are you doing? What is going on?’” Ali said, letting me down gently. “I think it’s more of a high schooler type thing.”
Fine.
But it’s still pretty cool, this bridging of the generation gap through mutual interest and understanding. Now I know VSCO. As my old Army friend, Joe, likes to remind me, “Knowing is half the battle.”
VSCO VOCAB
VSCO: Short for Visual Supply Company, this photo editing app is known for preset filters that convey a sun-drenched, California vibe.
VSCO Girl: Someone who fits the VSCO aesthetic, telltale signs for which typically include a beachy, informal fashion sensibility and a concern for environmental causes.
TikTok: A platform for sharing short-form mobile videos credited with popularizing the VSCO Girl caricature — particularly an annoying, exaggerated version of the VSCO Girl. This social media outlet is especially popular among teenagers.
“Sksksk”: VSCO-speak for laughter, typically as a typed replacement for “lol” in a text message or online comment. When spoken aloud, this “laughter” is often intended to be an extension of the joke itself. Along with “And I oop-” below, it is commonly used as the catchphrase of the VSCO Girl stereotype.
“And I oop-”: If a Hydro Flask falls in a high school cafeteria, this phrase will be right behind it. More than a simple “oops,” this phrase expresses surprise, shock or embarrassment. It is often written with a hyphen at the end, as if to say, “there’s more that could be said here about how I’m feeling, but I’m going to cut if off and move on.”
Where there is a VSCO Girl, there is likely a Hydro Flask within reach.
“Spill the tea”: Another way to say, “share the gossip.” Also commonly heard in other variations such as, “that’s the tea, sis,” this phrase enjoys wide usage, so while common among VSCO Girls, it is not VSCO-specific.
#savetheturtles: The most famous cause of the VSCO Girl stereotype, this hashtag is almost always connected with a message of saving marine animals like sea turtles from plastic straws and other common ocean garbage.
Sources: Rachel Kimberley, Ali Hassett, Google
Coffee Notes
As with all coffeejosh.com conversations, my discussion with the VSCO Girls included coffee, this time from Wake Up Call in Liberty Lake. I ordered a mocha (Wake Up Call’s version has a particularly smooth taste). A fan of all things pumpkin, Ali loves that Wake Up Call serves the autumn flavor year-round. She selected her go-to order, an iced pumpkin spice latte. Rachel? Well, she is a mint milkshake connoisseur trapped in the coffee-mad Inland Northwest. She ordered a white hot chocolate and said it was great, but for all her help, I probably owe her a shake.
If Ali and Rachel are any indication, VSCO Girls also have a great sense of humor and are kind to old people like me. Thanks, ladies! — Josh Johnson (soccer jersey: Sydney FC)
While you’re here, would you do me a favor?
If you enjoy articles like this one, join the CoffeeJosh mailing list. It’s hurry-free, spam-free and also free … free. As a thanks, I’ll send you a PDF — you guessed it, free — that has 10 of the best coffee shop orders in the Spokane area. (All 10 are drinks and treats local coffee shop owners make for themselves. In this case, expect to pay for your order and feel like it was totally worth it.)
Kylie, this is beautiful. So on point and a much needed topic in today’s world. I am glad you are sharing this with others and hope many young people will ready this and learn the lesson early in life. You are gifted with words and I hope to see more guest spots from you!
Kylie, this is so well done, I’m very impressed! You have your dad’s gift for words and organized and expressed yourself so well. Plus, what an important topic! Your Aunt Hannah sounds like a wonderful person. And coffee from The Garden IS delicious.
2 Comments
Kylie, this is beautiful. So on point and a much needed topic in today’s world. I am glad you are sharing this with others and hope many young people will ready this and learn the lesson early in life. You are gifted with words and I hope to see more guest spots from you!
Kylie, this is so well done, I’m very impressed! You have your dad’s gift for words and organized and expressed yourself so well. Plus, what an important topic! Your Aunt Hannah sounds like a wonderful person. And coffee from The Garden IS delicious.