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Chronically Craving Coffee: Caffeinated and Conscious
Coffee makes me happy. Coffee wakes me up. Coffee keeps me awake. Coffee helps me concentrate. Coffee pleases my taste buds. Coffee fuels conversations with friends. Coffee finishes off a wonderful meal. Coffee is the elixir of the lesser gods (humans).
When I was six years old, I had my first cup of coffee. My mother, who averaged 8 or 9 cups a day, prepared a milky coffee and served it to my brother, sister, and I in what she called “demitasse cups.” This was my introduction to the taste of that wonderful black liquid that I will drink for the rest of my days.
Soon sunrise and coffee cups marked the beginning of our days. It was a privilege to be allowed to drink coffee. And it tasted oh so good to us. Of course, this was not “real” coffee which we learned later when we were permitted to drink a full cup of the aromatic black brew. We finally had that privilege once we were teenagers and no longer rose with the sun.
Now, I cannot imagine beginning my day without coffee. I drink two cups first thing every morning (I use the word loosely since I’ve been getting up sometime between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m.)
My husband and I generally begin the day with coffee. We used to talk about how much we appreciated Juan Valdez and his donkey bringing us our morning coffee, but now we must…
