Today I’m going to tell you the story of how I met someone very important to me. No, not my husband – though that’s a good story too. No, this relationship has been long and tumultuous, but has a happy ending. It’s a real-life romantic comedy.

Except that the male lead is not some handsome guy – it’s coffee. Yes, coffee. I would like to tell you the heartwarming tale of how this mommy met coffee.

It all started over a decade ago….

2000 – I was in high school when I first met coffee. I was rehearsing a play, when someone’s parents brought a carafe of coffee. I had never tried coffee, but I was intrigued by the smell and poured myself a mug. It took all my teenage pride not to spit it immediately back out again.

WHAT THE HELL??? This stuff is TERRIBLE. Blech! How does anyone drink it? Oh yeah, I remember, they put milk and sugar in it. Maybe that will help. I pour in a large quantity of milk and 15 spoons of sugar. (a 4 by 15?) Sadly, it remains as terrible as before.

I suppose coffee is just not for me, I thought. Coffee and I parted ways, thinking we would never see each other again. Little did we know…

2006 – I was now in university, living happily without coffee. In fact, the only reason that I even thought about coffee was that we kept running into each other at work. I was working part-time at Tim Hortons on campus where I served roughly 4 billion cups of coffee a day. How many did I drink? Zero.

Well, actually, I did slip and drink an iced cap once in a moment of weakness. It just didn’t feel right. I found coffee to be bitter and overrated. Coffee thought I was weak and boring. This was a mistake. It was never going to work. I once again swore off coffee.

2009 – Coffee and I both moved on. I married my university sweetheart and coffee found plenty of others to wake up with. My husband and I had a brunch wedding. Just to show there was no hard feelings, we invited coffee to the reception. We didn’t cross paths, but everything went smoothly.

After returning from our honeymoon my husband and I opened our wedding presents to discover that we got a nice coffeemaker as a present. What were we going to do with it? We don’t drink coffee and never will. Honestly, this is just like coffee. That guy is so pushy! Why won’t he just leave us alone. Can’t he see I’m happy? We sold it on Kijiji, then made a cup of tea. Coffee and I broke up and we were never, ever ever getting back together.

2013 – I started working on a Master’s degree part-time, while still working full-time this year. Oh, and it was in another city, which required an hour drive each way. Did I mention that I was driving back at 10 pm? (Yes, that was past my bedtime.) started the masters – long drive. I can do this, I thought. I’ll just catch up on sleep on the weekends.

“Don’t be stubborn”, said coffee. “Let me help you.” After about 6 months, I gave in and started drinking mochas. It’s only half-coffee, I told myself. It’s not serious. It’s not like we’re together or anything.

 

2015 – The hubby and I had a lovely baby boy in the summer of 2015, as you probably already know. After many a sleepless night, I finally gave into coffee’s frequent invitations and began making lattes and mochas at home. While coffee was looking a lot better to me, I still couldn’t handle it full-strength.

And sure, the coffee shop baristas knew my name and order. But that didn’t mean anything. Coffee was just a friend.

2016 – I took students on a field trip downtown. On one of their breaks a group of students brings me a coffee. (Double double from Tims) “We don’t know what you like in it, but we hope it’s good,” they said hopefully. Looking into their earnest faces, I couldn’t toss it in the trash, so I drank it. And I actually liked it. Could it be that coffee wasn’t so bad after all?

2017 – This is the year I installed the Starbucks app on my phone. I realized that I could order a coffee ahead of time and pick it up without waiting in line. The convenience is much too tempting for me, and I  begin ordering a latte for pickup every day.

One day, I forgot to order and upon realizing I didn’t have time to stand in line, I felt crushing disappointment. Sure, coffee was bitter and abrasive and way too hot, but he was also comforting and trustworthy. I liked who I was when coffee and I were together. (You know, alert and stuff.) Could it be, that after all our ups and downs, that coffee and I could work after all?

Suddenly it hit me: I need coffee. We were meant to be together. I rush to the nearest coffee shop to proclaim my love for coffee by ordering some fancy latte. I apologized for taking so long to realize our compatibility and promise to never leave it again. “Shh,” coffee whispered. “We’re together now.” (Okay, that last part may not have happened. I was kind of sleep deprived.)

Coffee and I decide we can’t fight it anymore. My husband and I upgrade the coffeemaker, dig up all my old, unused travel mugs and top up the Starbucks cards. Despite our rocky beginnings, coffee and I are in it for the long-haul.

And we all lived happily every after.