One Mother’s Love Letter to Starbucks

Feb 14

You’ve been there for me for the past six years, since I first became a mother. You’re in almost every town, and thankfully I have been able to walk to you for the past three years. When my babies wouldn’t nap at home, I could stroll or baby carry them to sleep and pick up a mobile order without waking them. You were a treat I could look forward to, something just for me, as I was in the trenches caring for tiny humans. When my babies woke before the sun, and didn’t want to go back to sleep, you were often the only thing open, the only thing to look forward to.

In addition to often having more than one Starbucks in every town, you also have some drive-through locations. There were rainy days when I lulled my babies to sleep in the car and drove over twenty minutes to the nearest drive-through for coffee and a croissant. It was worth every minute, every dollar, and every bit of gas.

Quote by Mom Group Dropout + Art by Parent Self-Care

When seasons changed, so too did my drink order. What a fun and luxurious way to bring seasonal joy to my life. One year for the holidays, I asked for a Starbucks ornament so that your gift and presence could be honored every year in our home. It’s one of my favorite ornaments on the tree.

As my children got older, they enjoyed getting a Peter Rabbit Organics pouch or pastry while I got my coffee. During the Coronavirus, scooting to Starbucks got them excited to get out of the house and take a break from screens. We are a Starbucks family.

The baristas at our local store have seen my children grow for the past three years. They greeted us warmly with smiles, knowing our orders, and engaging us in jovial conversation. Those little moments and conversations were a lifeline for me and many other mamas with young children. Conversations with adults can be few and far between in the early years, and they are important. Having a routine, and knowing people in your town also fosters community, especially as it is more difficult to see friends when your children are small. In fact, these small interactions are part of Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski’s seven secrets to unlocking the stress cycle in their hit book, Burnout. They recommend taking out your air pods when you are walking and making eye contact and saying hello to neighbors and store employees. In their words this, “reassures your brain that the world is a safe, sane place, and not all people suck.”

Some might turn up their nose because you are such a large company. Some may say you feel like a track home, manufactured, and lacking uniqueness. Part of that is what I love. Wherever I am, there you are. I can count on the comfort and routine of seeing your green and white sign wherever I am in the world. Super fancy coffee and one of a kind shops are wonderful things, a thing for parents with older kids, moms with little ones don’t have time for that.

Mindful Coffee Break tutorial

Now that my kids are out of baby carriers and strollers, I’m no longer making 6am coffee runs. Sometimes I brew my own coffee, and of course, I still visit you a few times a week. I make time for a mindful cup of coffee each morning, a mainstay in my self-care routine that I learned about from mother, author and social worker Shonda Moralis, LCSW’s book, Breathe, Empower, Achieve. Now that I have a moment to breathe and reflect, I want to say thank you Starbucks. You have been there for me, and so many other moms.