Why Coffee Always Tastes Better When My Husband Makes It or Infusing Things With Love

Whenever people live together in family groups you have certain routines that just seem to evolve and become what my son likes to call “a thing.” Like the fact that I usually pick him up from school and while he ravages the refrigerator we sometimes talk about his day. Except that this winter I added a shared cup of tea and it suddenly became “a thing.” In my opinion, these are the joy nuggets of family life and they are as special as every family is different.

My husband and I have many of these “things” because we’ve been together a long time. One of them is his making me coffee in the morning. Only this is one that I cherish above all others because I swear that the coffee tastes different when he makes it. I’ve tried to make the coffee myself, believe me - it tastes like ass. It absolutely NEVER comes out the way his does. It doesn't matter if I do exactly what he says to do, it does NOT taste the same. The only explanation I can think of for this is that somehow he infuses something of himself into the process. I can assure you that it is the purest form of love and care when someone not only makes you this wonderful cup, but brings it to your bedside in the morning like my husband does on most days. And he always uses my favorite cup.

There are lots of other family rituals in our house and I’m sure that when my son gets older there will be objects and behaviors and expressions that are infused with meaning for him because they conjure up some of our “things.” These are the wonderfully precious, yet often taken for granted, “isms” that define a family and it’s why some of the objects tied to these memories will be handed down while others won’t. And while we all know that I’m a huge advocate of cleaning and clearing, I also truly madly deeply and completely understand our need to hold on, to remember, and especially to feel comfort, and joy. I live it every single day in my morning cup.

So take a minute today to think about your family’s isms, those “things” you’ve infused with love, and be grateful. And be conscious of what makes them special and worth preserving. When the time comes to pare down and weed out, you’ll be crystal clear on what stays and what goes and only the truly cherished will survive. As they should.