Dear Coffee,

You and I -- we've known each other for a long time. Ever since I was a little girl, up at the crack of dawn with Dad before he went to work, you were there waiting for me in very, very small amounts at the bottom of that old, yellow mug. I could always count on you to be waiting for me in samples while I was the grocery store with Mom. And I'm sorry that at one point my taste buds made me believe I no longer liked you -- no longer needed you. But I am forever grateful that you accepted me back with your loving, warm embrace and support during the writing of my junior year term paper.

From that point forward, I knew you were the drink for me. In fact, I'm not sure I could live without you, Coffee. It is you that gets me through my busy days; those horrible Monday mornings where I feel like I cannot get out of bed and survive the real world; those all nighters to study or complete that paper; those moments where I cannot fight the exhaustion any longer; and, of course, those days where I wake up with a pounding headache after a long night out.

You are such an incredibly versatile drink that can appeal to so many, for which reason I'm sure the thanks extend beyond my own. Thank you for warming me in the cold, or for giving me a nice, iced refreshment in the summer. You do not complain when I try to change you by adding cream or sometimes even sugar. And you offer me so many different flavors to try! Even if not everyone likes you (please don't take it too personally considering the even bigger count of those who adore you), they still cannot resist being around you. Maybe that is why you have shops constructed in your honor -- places where people will flock just so that the wonderful scent of you may envelop them, comfort them, and give them a place to build other relationships. With your help of course.

So thank you, Coffee, for being such an exceptional drink and for helping so many people through so many situations, good or bad. You are a true hero, and I will forever be grateful for your existence.

Sincerely,

An admirer