first, morning coffee

I am very intentional about my first cup of coffee every morning.

Sometimes I can stay in that present moment for the duration of my favorite morning beverage. More often than not, I am usually casted off into reality within the first

couple of sips.

I do not check my phone.

I do not start on my to do list.

I do not think about anything more upon waking than my first cup of coffee. The first moments of my day belong to me.

& I do nothing until that hot, earthy flavor dances across my lips and floods my tongue at the beginning of each day.

It never used to be this way.

I used to hit the ground running upon the conscious raising of my eyelids every morning. I was proud of that. For a long time. I have come to realize that the days of rushing to get to the next task has served its purpose. It served my family well and it served my mental state at the time.

These days are much different. Tasking myself into oblivion is no longer something I am interested in. I am not interested any longer in hustling, or being a ‘girl boss’ or running myself into the ground at the expense of my wellbeing… at the expense of my rest.

These days I operate differently.

I think differently.

I see the world differently than my peers.

All in all, I live differently.

I desire to be one of those people who doesn’t live their days in such a rush that I refuse to let someone in during traffic. I desire to live a life that is more interesting than the curated reality everyone else is enthralled with on their phone. I wish to live a life so grounded and slow that each time I visit the grocery store for my ingredients for dinner I’m not in such a hurry that I don’t have time to stop at the floral cooler to admire and smell the roses. I want to physically write my friends letters and decorate the envelopes and walk my love to the mailbox to send it on the way to the recipient. I wish to always have room to flow, and to pause.

I want to remember and experience the things & people I love that bring me joy daily.

Each morning I may not make it through that first cup before I am hustled into reality; but that first sip is where I begin every morning.

A sense of calm.

A sense of familiarity.

A place where I am grounded and clear headed when the world starts whirring.