Dear Kind Stranger Waiting for Your Coffee,

I barely know you. We exchanged names (and now I’ve forgotten yours), where you work, what you do; the formal casualties that happen in a conversation. All I know is that you struck up a conversation with me in the middle of a coffee shop while we were both waiting for our drinks.

Now, most might find this creepy, but I didn’t because you were totally normal about it. You complimented me on my makeup and I thanked you and told you where I went to school and what I did for a job. You were interested and asked me questions about where I wanted to see myself next; what my next plans were… Stuff like that. And I told you. I told you because I felt comfortable, and flattered even, that someone – someone I didn’t even know – would care.

What you didn’t know is that day was a day to go down in my books as one of my worst. My mental health was failing and I needed to get out of the house even if it was just to get a simple cup of coffee. And you cared enough to notice me, compliment me on what I loved to do, and even ask me more about it. You cared. You listened. And I appreciate that more than you’ll ever know.

We live in a world where what you did is frowned upon. People just go about their day, heads down, eyes focused on their own agenda. In fact, if someone starts talking to another person randomly, it might even be considered “creepy” or “weird.” But thank you. What you did was just a friendly conversation. You weren’t trying to start something, you weren’t coming onto me, you weren’t making me uncomfortable in the slightest. We need more people like you.

So, to the mystery person who made my day a million times better: thank you for your kind words, your compliment, your interest in what I do, and your kind spirit. I strive to be like you.

That Girl Waiting for Her Coffee, Too