Good things happen when we get together.
Remember how we met? Oh, I know you've ruled our family from the beginning of time - but I am talking about how you and I met.
The year was 1979. It was March and I was busy studying for my Grade 11 exams.
One chilly morning, after I returned from the milk-booth around the corner - oh yes, those were the days of milk bottles - I got back to my books. A few minutes later, Mom brought a tray with two big tumblers and sat beside me to enjoy the sunrise with her coffee. Who knew that would become a lifelong tradition with us!
So what was so special about that morning? It was my first cup of coffee. Ever. At first I was shocked. I thought Mom had forgotten to bring me milk. But she smiled and said, no, she hadn't forgotten, she'd just figured I might like to taste coffee.
It was love at first sip.
I still remember that moment. Bringing that cup hesitantly to my mouth and taking a tiny sip, afraid you would scorch my tongue. Boy, were you hot! Pun intended, of course, because you still are! And yes, I was mesmerized as you trickled down, warm into my throat and onward, to take permanent residence in my heart. It was like coming home.
And thus started our lifelong love affair. I looked at Mom and smiled happily. She nodded. Oh yes, as a coffee-lover herself, I can imagine how pleased she must have felt that she was the one who introduced me to you.
I wished we could have met a second time every day - but Mom wouldn't hear of it. A little longer for that, she said. I listened.
But it is so hard to stay away from the one you love, and I was no exception. We met secretly. At friends' houses. Roadside rendezvous. And how wonderful it felt!
When it comes to you, coffee, I am literally insatiable!
You became a sort of secret benchmark in my life. The people I met? I felt so much better when they respected you as much as I did.
Did I see you roll your eyes? Good. I did too. Clockwise and anti-clockwise.
One of my favorite memories of you is the one with Mom. Our ritual of having that first cup together no matter what. Enjoying the first rays of the sun in our balcony as we sipped our coffee and inhaled the fragrance of the frankincense she lit with the lamp before we got busy in the kitchen. I like to call it my sacred morning raga.
I also fondly think of those days, in 1987 when we moved back to the city I loved, when my friends and I met at 6 am every morning for a walk. When we returned, Mom would be waiting with freshly brewed coffee that we enjoyed together before we got started with our respective days.
Nothing beats beginning the day with you, dear coffee. Good things happen when we get together.
I am glad my life partner enjoys his first cup as much as I do! Do you remember how he and I met? An ad in the Times of India in Feb 1996.
I saw the ad in the paper and wrote back. I was planning to visit his city in April that year, en route to a sales conference. I was to join a couple of colleagues and travel onward. I arrived the day before and decided I would first meet him - and he readily agreed to receive me at the railway station. For the first time in my life, I actually worried about how I looked - and had even carried a change of shirts so I wouldn't look all crumpled and messy when we met.
I got off the train - and saw him standing there. We smiled at each other and the first thing he asked was if I'd like to have coffee first, and took me to a little restaurant that served rather good coffee.
To cut a long story short (yes, we did long phone calls, long letters) he proposed on my birthday in September and in February 1997, we got married.
Yes, we savor our first cup of coffee together every morning and love it!
Technology may rule our lives, but nothing compares to sitting face to face and enjoying each others' company as we smile together, hold hands, laugh together, hug each other - creating connections that last a lifetime, because we are not connected unless we're face to face.
I've always believed in meeting up for a coffee rather than texting or emailing or even dialing the phone. Nothing speaks more than a real smile that crinkles the eyes and a warm hug that makes you feel loved.
No virtual coffees for me. Nope! I love the real warmth of a real mug of coffee. And I am grateful for all the wonderful people I've met over a coffee! And people will always rule over technology.
Coffee, thanks for making my relationships so much richer. To me, you are not just a beverage...you are a magical experience that kick starts my day. You taste like freshly ground heaven!
♥
I love the idea of Starbucks' latest campaign where they're inviting people to share their #HowWeMet stories.
I had the pleasure of my first Starbucks coffee last year with my best friend when I visited Canada and loved it.
And now I am thrilled we have @StarbucksIndia close to our place!
To quote Starbucks,
In the world of 'social technology' where people are communicating with each other more than ever before, Starbucks soulful new global campaign showcases the impending need to "meet" each other rather than connecting virtually. We all crave for being with our loved ones and cherish the moments spent together. We all have fond memories and stories to share.
So true!
I urge you to visit the Starbucks microsite here and read some heartwarming #HowWeMet stories! Just proves that good things happen when people get together! You can also share your own story - it could be any experience, any memory, any life changing moment that you had when you met someone. It could be connecting with an old friend, bonding with a group of colleagues or with family - and to sweeten the deal, 3 stories from each city win Starbucks coffee for 365 days!
Now that's the kind of prize I'd covet!
To inspire you, Starbucks has some great unscripted videos of #HowWeMet stories. Enjoy!
