I Met My Younger Self for Coffee

Recently, a wholesome micro-trend has been going around TikTok: "I met my younger self for coffee this morning," where creators, and writers especially, reflect on who they once were, compared to how they view themselves now.

This trend blossomed from the poem by Jennae Cecelia Poetry, see the original post below:

The poem reads:

i met my younger self for coffee at 10:15.

she was late.

i was early.

i wore my dark brown hair in a slicked back bun.

her hair was faded red and in her face.

i had dark blue jeans on.

she wore sweatpants with a few stains.

***

she lets out a sigh and has a good cry.

i tell her to release her feelings one at a time.

the scars on her have now faded on me quite a bit.

i want to tell her it won't always be like this.

but i don't.

she doesn't need to hear

that things will be better.

she just wants a hug and reassurance of her feelings during this uncertain season ahead of her.

***

we leave the aroma of coffee beans and baked goods.

i walk her home to our old neighborhood.

we won't meet again for 15 more years.

but each day she thinks of the woman who acknowledged her tears.

- Jeannae Cecelia

This trend reminds me of one of my favorite books, Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, where at a café in Tokyo, patrons are given the chance to travel back in time--so long as you are meeting someone who previously visited the café and return to the present 'before the coffee gets cold,' you can have a conversation with someone from your past. Though it's not a version with your past self, the similarities between the forced reflection and tone are very similar.

Since this is such a lovely jumping off point for poetry, a writing exercise if you will, I decided to give it a shot:

I met my younger self for coffee at 11AM.

She was 15 minutes early but walked around the block until she saw me in the window.

I was right on time.

She ordered an iced mocha

I had a matcha latte with oat milk.

I let her take a sip to see what it'd taste like.

She agreed since we won't mix germs.

***

She had her hair parted to the side, brushed straight.

I wore my natural waves parted in the center.

She had a silver bow necklace on

Me, gold rings.

"I love your necklace," I said.

"I know," she replied.

***

Though I knew her,

She didn't yet know me.

And so, we exchanged pleasantries until

I asked her how she was doing and

She said "Good," and then "tired."

"I know," I replied.

***

She asks me if it gets easier.

The weight on her chest.

I smile and think...yes and no.

I tell her, "You will find your way."

She exhales.

I know she doesn't believe me.

Because she will have to find it within,

Grow with it.

And she determined to do just that.