latte day.

today, in my family, was latte day.  

we drank lattes to honor and remember my aunt who died two years ago.  and she was obsessed with coffee.  and actually, she was the one who taught me how to make coffee.  she was the one who went with me to buy my first coffee maker when she came to town and, heaven forbid, i didn't have one yet.

so today, all over the country, we drank lattes to honor shirley.  

i drank a latte when it was 102° outside. right before i went swimming.  but for shirley, anything. 

i cried when i drank my latte.  i laughed when i drank my latte.    

in the past five years i have lost an aunt, an uncle, a great aunt, a father-in-law, a grandparent and a sweet dog.  at times i cry when i think about these wonderful people in my life.  but then we have a day like latte day, where i had the most wonderful memories about shirley all day long and it made me smile through my tears.  

to shirley.