my husband, naturally tall, dark and handsome, has a thing for starbucks. when we first started dating four years ago, he would only order caramel apple ciders, with whipped cream and caramel drizzle. (why, when the drink already has caramel in it, does it need more caramel?) he would carefully peel away the lid and and vaccum up the whipped cream, careful to avoid the cider itself, which was, of course, like 300 degrees. 15 minutes would go by before he could suck that down too.

fast forward four years and the guy is hard core. piping hot black americano? no problem, he just slams it back. and might i add he makes his own. i taught him how to use our espresso machine, which has its benefits when he shoves a coffee in my hand as i run out the door to catch the bus to work, prepared just the way i like it. (we’ll just say i prefer it not black in the slightest)

anyways, our first date was at starbucks, which i realize is nothing unique, but it’s not a bad way to go when you realize a beverage has so much to reveal about a person. are they simple? are they picky? are they caffeine-free? are they addicts? do they have a sweet tooth? it’s kind of like the owner-looks-like-its-dog idea. your dog (or starbucks beverage) at least slightly influences who you are because it says something (what?) about you. my husband eventually (though it took time) got rid of the “fluffy cider” in his life and became a down-to-earth, simple but lovely “americano.”

so the early morning my husband left for china on a business trip, he left an empty eight-ounce starbucks cup in the fridge. and the quote on the cup says, “love wins.” and his handwriting with an arrow pointing to the quote says, “we win babe!” and that is what this blog is about. because if you think about it, love SOOO wins, no matter which friend, relative or stranger it is shared with or what the form, function or context. whether it hurts, is lonely or changes in a way you thought it couldn’t or wouldn’t, love still wins.