Once a month a marvelous thing happens at Hi-Hope. Shane comes by the Development office looking for Nick. See, a few months back Nick and Shane bonded over a shared love of coffee and Nick suggested that perhaps he and Shane could do a monthly coffee hour. And so it happened. Nick picked up some fancy coffee and cookies and on the last Friday in April, Shane showed up in Nick's office to brew a pot. Shane also brought along some provisions: creamer and packets of sugar he picked up at McDonald's.
Shane ran the full operation, from setting up the coffee maker and setting out cups, setting the "table", and pouring both Nick and himself a cup. "So now what should we do," Nick asked and Shane immediately replied, "Michael Jackson videos." After about an hour of 80s rock videos, a couple cups of coffee, some snacks and good conversation, Shane helped Nick clean everything up and then rejoined his group. This simple moment of two guys bonding has now been repeated almost every month since April and it's something both Nick and Shane really look forward to doing.
Some of the highlights include the following:
- having an excuse to buy the good coffee (not that Nick knows the difference as he will take instant coffee any day)
- having an excuse to buy "fancy," top shelf cookies
- getting to rock out to the likes of Michael Jackson, Kenny Rogers, and the Top Gun soundtrack at least once a month
- watching the occasional episode of the 80s sitcom Webster
- bonding over shared interests between friends
The real beauty of the coffee hour is that it came together so effortlessly. It is so simple and yet really has an impact on the lives of these two guys. So, think about those little pleasures that pepper your daily lives and consider bringing one to Hi-Hope. Maybe host a high tea for a small group or bring in some popcorn and your favorite movie to play for some folks. Or, perhaps you would consider hosting a potluck at your house, church or place of work. It's these easy things that really add up and make for meaningful lives.