my friend claire once asked me why it is that i love coffee so much.
the ritual, i responded.
which is some of the answer, but not all of it, i suppose.
i can drink a small latte for hours. i can milk it (pun intended) for hours. i'll begin with it in the morning and it'll last me through the late afternoon.
i like the taste of coffee, but i don't love it.
there is a respect for the thing. for the knowledge that it's not nutrition--that that's not how it feeds me. i don't even particularly need the caffeine to wake me up in the morning.
it's self-care.
it's that first sip.
this morning that sip coupled coupled with the cool spring air made me think of vacation and the love of my friends and a few stolen weeks in sydney. it made me forget--if only for a moment--the clanging of the elevator repair to which i woke, the calls i need to make to secure an apartment, the work schedule that doesn't allow me to view the locations, the emails and messages that need to be sent out, and the near crippling stress which has snuck into my life over the last few weeks.
the coffee was a pause. the first sip, a moment of respite. a reminder that all will be well and i deserve to get up, dust myself off, and continue on. i am worth the fight.
all that in a morning coffee. not to bad, huh?
16 comments:
I'm with you on this one. I'm always trying to kick coffee because I don't find that I need the caffeine and I know it's not doing me any nutritional favors... But I keep going back because there is nothing I love more than meeting someone for a latte or sitting alone in a coffee shop with a cappuccino and my daily To Do list. I even request a "for here" cup rather than a disposable one because I cherish the way the warm ceramic feels in my hands. I gotta say, I do love the taste of coffee. I take it with soy milk or almond milk (or even bring in coconut creamer, which is my very fav), no sugar, and just enjoy the ritual. It makes everything a little better.
"i deserve to get up, dust myself off, and continue on. i am worth the fight."
beautifully written. i needed to hear that today. thank you.
This post is so beautifully written. I couldn't agree with you more.
I hear you. coffee is about more than just coffee, and I hate this constant talk about beating the habit. it's coffee, not cigarettes, or drugs, or alcohol. if you need to struggle with something to make yourself interesting, pick something else. drinking coffee is a ritual. couldn't agree more!
Yes yes yes!
Psh... coffee is GOOD for your health! (Not because of what it does for the psyche):
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/coffee-new-health-food
Webmd says so... so... it must be true. I trust them enough to diagnose myself with cancer every once and a while, so why not on this? ;)
Coffee is my me time in my crazy hectic always on the go life. It is sacred.
*not only because of what it does for the psyche (that's what the was supposed to read)
sometimes i think you can read my thoughts and write them so much better than i can. i like coffee but i love the ritual of it. the same is true for hot tea. it is always so much more than just hot caffeine. it is relaxation and inspiration in a cup.
Yes. Oh yes. I've recently learned that I can only stomach decaf, but it's not the caffeine that I love -- it's the ritual. It's the same with tea. Or any hot beverage, I suppose. It's the slowness, the awareness, the pause.
Yes.
that first sip is always the best. love this.
I love savoring my coffee, preferably in a mug, and drinking it over a great conversation.
Love this! I am a tea drinker, but I feel the same way. It' is all about the ritual. The doing something for yourself. The feeding your soul.
oh my god. FINALLY. someone who drinks coffee for the same reason i do. i don't need the caffeine (caffeine has no effect on me). i don't necessarily love the taste. it's just...exactly everything you said. the ritual. the smell. the memories. thank you so much for putting what i felt into words!
I love this! When I was pregnant with Eli I gave up caffeine (even though I didn't have to...I was just suuuuper paranoid about what I ate and drank during that time) but I couldn't give up the ritual of having that hot, comforting drink that smells oh so delicious every morning. I switched to decaf and I savoured it just as much as regular coffee. Which, to me, says exactly that: coffee is about the ritual, not what you're consuming. It's such a nice little indulgence and a fantastic way to start the day.
Ah, this is so true!
Thank-you so much for your honesty in your blog. For your elegant bluntness. For not being afraid to be who you are and sharing that. It has helped me be more bold than I could have in the past few months.
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