Later

There’s a word that we all use too casually. A word that is comforting, seems harmless and soft. The word later.

“I’ll start it later.” , “I’ll send it later.” , “I’ll talk to him later.” , “I’ll fix it later.” I say as my cup of coffee sits next to me.

When the coffee is first poured into the mug it is alive, steaming , inviting and sharp. If you say “I’ll drink it later.” something faint happens. It doesn’t stay suspended in perfection.
It doesn’t wait at peak warmth. It cools quietly. This isn’t a dramatic tragedy, but it is rather quiet and almost invisible. By the time later comes around it is still drinkable but not magical. And that is what the word later does to moments.

“Later” assumes abundance.

It assumes:

There will be more time.

The feeling will return.

The opportunity will still be warm.

But time is more like coffee than we admit. It doesn’t reheat without losing something.

You can microwave cold coffee.
You can revive an idea.
You can restart a project.

But it’s never the same as drinking it when it was meant to be drunk.

Some conversations are meant to happen warm. There’s a specific temperature where honesty is brave and not defensive, creativity is bold and action is fluid. “Later” lowers the temperature, it loses it’s spark. Not enough to shock you but enough to dull you. And dullness is way more dangerous than it seems because it feels comfortable.

Next time you pour coffee, notice:

There’s a window when it’s perfect. Not boiling. Not cold. Just right.

The right timing is fotr

Sending the message.

Starting the draft.

Saying the truth.

Beginning the thing that scares you.

Drink the coffee while it’s warm. Do the thing while the energy is warm.Because “later” is rarely a delay. Most of the time, it’s a quiet goodbye.

Send that text message, tell them you love them, finish what you want to start, start that difficult conversation.

And who knows, maybe the window is smaller than you think.

Photo credit: Maces WebAdmin. “Beverage Black and White Coffee.” MACES, 1 Feb. 2019, https://maces.ca/wellness/beverage-black-and-white-coffee-19586/