I pulled up to the adorable coffee shop near my job. I don’t know why it took so long to give it a try. One of the owners is my all-time favorite barista from another coffee shop. I don’t know why it surprised me she recognized me and asked me where I’d been. They opened during the pandemic, and the community has supported them well. They have served the community well.

And their teas are delicious. (I hear pretty much everything there is delicious, including the mini donuts, but my limited expertise to date is black tea.) I pulled up and ordered one of my favorite flavored teas. The barista got a bit distracted and soon realized she was in the middle of making the wrong flavored tea. It only took her a couple minutes to prepare the correct drink, then she handed me both for the price of one. I don’t know why I was yet again surprised.

It was a double tea day. But it wasn’t as much about the tea as it was a reminder of community and the way individuals within it impact one another.

• How do you greet people you know and don’t know?
• How do you handle your excess?
• How do you handle your mistakes?
• How do you handle others’ mistakes?
• Who do you choose to support and encourage?

It’s not about business. It’s about life. How you live reveals and refines your values. Ask yourself some pointed questions, and answer with honesty. Then respond with humility, hope, and faith—if that is what you value.