It beckoned sweetly through the darkness.

Returning from up north on Monday mornings…. I leave alone and very early to get back in time for work (a bit late). When it’s cold and dark and lonely, a stop for a hot cup of coffee is welcome. Doesn’t need to be fancy, just friendly. It’s the way I start the trip. It’s the way I say good-bye to the weekend.

This got me thinking. my first personal coffe experience (aside from my mother who is a five-cup-a-day person) was when I needed something warm to hold (not drink) during cold autumn football games.

Since then, I’ve come to enjoy it. But only partly for the taste. Largely, it is something more… the aroma in the morning, the sharingness of coffee and conversation late at night, the steam in my face from a thermos during a cold winter walk, a warm break on a long drive.

Yes, coffee is more an experience than a taste for me. It is warmth and sharing. I never drink alone.

(linked from Helen’s Flickr account)