Coffee and Me

Every Wednesday, I'll be sharing a short excerpt from my upcoming book, Coffee and Me, which is scheduled for release on my birthday, January 5, 2027. What began as writing about coffee has slowly become a collection of reflections on everyday life, work, faith, family, anxiety, routines, and the surprising lessons found in ordinary moments. I hope these weekly excerpts encourage you to slow down, enjoy your own daily rituals, and perhaps see a little of your own story in mine.

While carrying an old coffee filter to the trash, it collapsed, and I had coffee grounds all over the floor.

I let out a yell, making my frustration obvious.

Bella immediately came into the kitchen, hoping a snack had fallen.

No snack.

Just coffee grounds.

I got my wits back and realized there was no need to ruin my day over spilled coffee grounds. I pulled out the broom, swept everything into a pile, and cleaned it up.

For just a moment, my mind wandered.

What if I ran the used coffee grounds back through the machine? Maybe it would create a viral drink that I could sell.

I laughed it off as a crazy idea, dumped the grounds into the trash, and got back to making my morning coffee.

Since I wasn't going into work until after 9:00, I decided to brew a full pot. I used some Don Francisco's and, of course, sprinkled some instant espresso on top.

Surely that would infuriate the coffee purists.

But I suppose I'm a coffee heel.

Or maybe I'm more like an independent wrestler—someone like Necro Butcher, who made a name for himself wrestling brutal death matches on the independent circuit instead of following the traditional path.

I'll never be a third-wave coffee barista.

But I can still enjoy my morning coffee.

Now I just needed to decide which mug to use.

Reaching into the cabinet and moving past my wife's collection of mugs, I found two Today is a new day.

I poured the coffee, took my first sip, and smiled.

It tasted exactly the way I like it.

And that's really the point of making coffee at home.

Finding joy in the way you make it and in the way you enjoy drinking it.

What's one thing you do your own way, even if the experts would tell you you're doing it wrong?small mugs I'd picked up at Daiso—one yellow and one light blue.

The inscription on them said it all:

"It all depends on your mind."