- When Cait spotted a familiar face sitting alone at her local coffee shop, she decided to introduce herself.
- Bonding over a humble cup of coffee, Cait and Bruce formed an incredible friendship.
- Despite their 45 year age gap, they’re the best of friends!
Here Cait tells her story in her own words.
Waiting in line at my favourite cafe, I spotted a familiar face sitting by the window.
Though I didn’t know the older gentleman’s name, I’d seen him sitting alone a few times before.
I wonder if he’s up for a chat, I thought.
It was August 2023 and, working in finance, I’d recently moved into an office across the street.
‘Is this seat taken?’
Like most people, I loved starting my day with a coffee, so I was already well acquainted with my new favourite coffee shop, Revival in Berwick, Vic.
After placing my order with the barista, I turned my attention back to the stranger.
He made me think of my gran, Anna, 82, who moved into a nursing home several years earlier due to declining health.
My gran is my best friend, so I catch up with her regularly.
‘Getting older can be lonely,’ she often told me. ‘Family is everything.’
As her words echoed in my ears, it made me wonder why this man was often on his own.
Approaching his table, I introduced myself.
‘I’m Cait. Is this seat taken?’ I asked.
‘I’m Bruce,’ he smiled, gesturing for me to sit.
‘It was lovely meeting you, Bruce.’
Over the next hour, we chatted about life and family.
‘I lost my beautiful wife, Heather, a few years ago, aged 70. She was my entire world,’ Bruce said, as he showed me photos of Heather on his phone.
They’d been married for 50 wonderful years.
I listened in awe as Bruce, 73, told me he and Heather had been high-school sweethearts.
After getting married aged 20, they went on to welcome three sons.
In time, the boys grew up and had kids of their own.
‘I’ve come to this coffee shop every day since losing Heather.
It’s the highlight of my day,’ he admitted. ‘I have made some lovely friends here.’
Before I knew it, an hour had passed and it was time to head to work.
‘It was lovely meeting you, Bruce,’ I smiled.
‘Life’s too short. Remember to take time to nurture your own happiness.’
Back at home that night, I told my hubby, Nick, then 30, and our two young sons Ollie and Hudson, about my new friend.
‘You’re so thoughtful,’ Nick said proudly.
The following morning, I was delighted to see Bruce in the same spot, and sat down to chat.
Soon, we were spending time together almost every morning before I’d start work for the day.
With every coffee date, I felt our friendship grow from strength to strength, and no topic was off the table.
Despite our 45-year age difference, we just clicked.
Our deep conversations spanned our mutual love for travel, running a business, finding love, raising a family and everything in between.
Then one morning, two months after we’d first met, I sat down with Bruce and burst into tears.
‘I’m really struggling with my mental health,’ I confessed.
‘Life’s too short. Remember to take time to nurture your own happiness,’ Bruce reminded me.
‘You’re like the daughter I never had.’
I was so grateful for his wise words.
The next thing I knew, Bruce handed me a travel pamphlet from the newspaper.
‘Promise me every few months you will go away with your beautiful family and spend proper quality time together, before it’s too late,’ he encouraged.
It was just what I needed to hear to help me get my mental health back on track, and remember to live in the moment.
In only a short few months, Bruce had taught me so much about life without even realising.
While I’d helped him master how to use his new iPhone, he had helped me through one of the toughest stages of my life.
I was so grateful.
When I relocated my office to the other side of town in June 2024, it made fitting time in for my coffee dates with Bruce tricky.
But, as Bruce reminded me, nothing’s more important than spending time with those who fill your cup, and my bestie was one of them.
So my boys and I would meet up with him on the weekend for a cuppa and a chat while Nick had some quiet time at home.
Having raised three boys of his own, Bruce was so kind and patient with my two, as they asked 101 questions and jumped all over him.
Now, 18 months on, Ollie, five, and Hudson, three, can’t wait for our weekly catch-ups with Brucie, as they call him.
They even bring along drawings for him, which he displays proudly on his fridge.
‘They’re beautiful,’ Bruce smiles, grateful for the gifts.
Despite our 45-year age gap, there’s no denying that Bruce came into my life at a time I needed him, and I came into his life at a time he needed me.
‘You’re like the daughter I never had,’ Bruce often says to me.
And Bruce has a special place in my heart too.
‘Is he single?’ Gran asked, when I told her about my bestie, Bruce.
It’s so easy to get caught up in our lives, and not make time to chat to people.
But by lending an ear and a friendly smile, you can find friendships in the most unexpected places.
