Dear coffee,

We’ve been together for quite some time now and recently; I’ve been reflecting on our relationship. We met during winter when I was in middle school. You were hot, I was cold (PA winters can get brutal) …and I was too lazy to make hot chocolate. At first, I didn’t like you. You were too bitter, too bold and so I changed you to better suit my tastes. This was fine for a while until I slowly began to realize:

How could I call myself a coffee lover if I couldn’t even taste the coffee in the ‘coffee’ I was drinking.

That day I made a commitment to myself and to you that I was going to appreciate you in your most simple form. Black. It took a few weeks to wean me off of my sugar but I did it. The look on people’s faces when I order you at the café or restaurant without additives is pure shock. How could someone enjoy something so bitter and strong without adding something else? People are intimated by my choice and I like it.

Speaking of cafes and restaurants, I wanted to thank you. Thank you so very much, for without you, there would be no cute cafes downtown or in the building across the street. There would be no warm, good smelling atmosphere with cute baristas who remember your name or a neutral space to work and hold quick meetings.

I love how you’re always there for me when I need you first thing in the morning. I’m afraid that I’ve grown quite dependent on you because when I can’t find you when I wake, I get terribly sad and angry at the same time. Sometimes I wonder if this relationship is even healthy at all because when I go any length of time without you, I miss you so desperately that even my body begins to feel ill. Sometimes I entertain the thought of moving on… but then I remember that life would be devoid of all joy and happiness without you. You bring me immense happiness.

I love that you come in several different varieties. I could never get bored of you. No matter the season, you adapt, making it easy for us to stay together. Summers are refreshing, autumns are fragrant, winters are cozy and spring is invigorating so thank you.

Thank you, dear friend, for fogging up my glasses on a cold day. They say that love is blinding, and now I believe them. Thank you for keeping my hands warm when I can no longer feel my fingers. Thank you for waking me up every morning, whether I went to bed at a decent time or I stayed up until 3 a.m. with friends or homework or sometimes, both.

Thank you for being something that truly gives me joy.

Sincerely,

Me.