Coffee
Coffee is a big part of my self care ritual. I often use coffee as a measuring metric or self check-in tool. Different brew methods elicit different types of mindfulness practices for me.
Photo by Sarah de Rueda
Last year, I spent three months sitting in the home that raised me and something that brought me so much comfort was making coffee in the mournings. The house was quieter than I had ever experienced and I required nothing more than my grandmother’s Mr. Coffee machine and her mugs.
There’s something about holding a warm mug that is grounding; taking time to feel its warmth and call attention to the present. Every sip causes me to reflect, process and grieve. I encourage every coffee consumer I know to do this during their coffee rituals.
I do a lot of equity work within the specialty coffee industry and I’ve often thought about the correlation between how coffee lovers
describe their coffee
vs. how they would describe Black Men;
which is what inspired my poem “Staring at the Color Wheel.” There is so much detail and appreciation for a beverage that comes from the very labor of people that are rarely treated with the same adoration and care.
“If you can take time for your morning cup surely you can take time for the marginalized.”
