A Birthday Coffee?

Lauren Cook, Founder

I spent my 21st birthday (October 9, 1999), in Spain, during a junior year abroad in college. For this professional publication, I’ll spare you the details of that evening (if you traveled in Europe in your 20s, you get me), but I will bring you in on a Spanish birthday tradition. 

In Spain (and a few other European countries), the birthday gal/guy treats their friends to drinks and food on their special day, not the other way around. I won’t claim to know any more about the tradition than that, but I feel inspired to implement it for my birthday today, 27 years later.

The opportunity to treat friends and colleagues to a coffee (no more late-night cocktails for me) as part of my birthday embodies what I always feel on October 9–grateful to be alive! And in the context of Connecting Our Stories, grateful to be doing the work I do with people like you. 

I’ve been thinking about the word “blessing” lately. The word is used a LOT and in a variety of contexts. And yet, I still like it. I think of it less as something bestowed upon me from an almighty deity, and more of a connection I deeply appreciate. Like when I’m blessed with a good lingering hug or extended eye contact with my dog. The blessing of a floral scent or a held hand. A chorus of birdsong. Rain lilies.

It would be such a gift to me–a birthday blessing–to buy you a coffee. No pressure, no serious work talk (unless we want). Just half an hour to commemorate that we’re alive and connected. 

If I could schedule 48 coffee dates, I would. (Future goal for my 50th?!?) For now, I hope you will consider scheduling one by following this link: 

https://calendly.com/lauren-connectingourstories/birthday-blessing-coffee

Whether I see you over a matcha latte soon or not, thank you for gifting me your friendship, for blessing me with our connection. 

Out to dinner for my 21st birthday in Salamanca, Spain.