Missing Jamaican coffee

Everyone who knows me, knows that I am an inveterate, unapologetic coffee drinker.  Every new study that pronounces that coffee is good for your health, is heralded by me and spread far and wide to all!  “See?  I always told you coffee is good for you”.

My sister and I are also known as brewers par excellence.  My coffee brewing skills are legendary among my friends – somehow, I have the touch.  At a family reunion in Costa Rica some years ago I fell into the role of designated brewer – each pot brewed being heralded with cries of delight and wonders of how I do it every time!  Clients used to visit my office just to imbibe coffee prepared by Carole or me.  And many a run has ended at my gate with my running friends sipping my coffee.

I am lucky.  I was born and raised in a country where the best and most sought after coffee in the world is grown.  The Jamaican Blue Mountain is the stuff of legends – $30.00 per lb in New York; prized in Japan as gold – to me it has always simply been my morning cuppa.  Because of Jamaica’s desire to protect its precious coffee, only locally  grown coffee is available in Jamaica.  There are two types – Blue Mountain and lowland or high mountain.  Both are incredible.

Now that I am in Canada, a friend enquired of me if I had brought my stock of Blue Mountain coffee.  I responded in the negative, as I have decided that this is an opportunity to explore the over   different types of coffee grown throughout the world.  I am looking forward to sampling Brazilian, Kona, Ethiopian, Kenyan AA , organic, fair trade and others.  I am looking forward to the different roasts and grinds.  I figure that I will need a few years to get through all of them.  With great excitement, I scan the shelves of the supermarkets, groceries and coffee shops, impatient for my current coffee choice to be finished. I have been tempted to purchase more than one at a time, but have decided to be disciplined and fully enjoy the coffee until it is finished.  I don’t miss Jamaican coffee at all – I am having way too much fun on this new coffee exploration!

Do you sometimes miss things, people or experiences?  Missing is really telling us that we are not living in the present.  The things we miss are things of the past, to which we have become attached.  We hold onto those things through our memories.  Yet it is more than just memories – missing is actually wanting that same thing, person or experience back with us again.  This will typically close us off from new experiences, as we are too caught up in the missing to notice and appreciate the new.  Savour the memories of beloved people, treasured things and lovely experiences – but don’t hang onto them.  For there are lots more people out there to love, things to treasure and experiences to enjoy.  Doing so in no way diminishes the people, things and experiences you are remembering; it simply adds to your joy.  Your heart has an infinite capacity to expand – just be present and be open.

This morning I totally enjoyed my Kenya AA Dark Roast coffee!