Ah, coffee.  In this particular moment, coffee with organic mint mexican cocoa and freshly whipped cream.  Some of the coffee-obsessed may call that “cheating,” as I tend to enjoy a bit of sugar with my coffee, but for those who simply recognize the beauty of a good cup, you can probably make sense of my joy.


I must admit something to you.  My mind, as of late, has been spinning.  No need to go into the details, but you have probably experienced the overwhelmingness of what could be described as an elephant pirouetting in your brain a time or two.  Coffee and pirouetting elephants seem to make for a poor combination, but bear with me.  I’m not reaching for coffee to know the side effects of caffeine.  I slept quite well last night after returning home from a rather fulfilling night of playing alongside Chicago musicians at Wrigleyville’s Cubby Bear.  Sleep was easy.  Although neither did I reach for the comforts of that creamy concoction of home whipped goodness, much like a box of chocolates eaten during a sappy chic flick.  Nope.  I simply wanted to take a moment to remember the small moments in life that keep us encouraged.  For random reasons, I haven’t made myself a fresh cup of coffee since the beginning of June.  (I think my teeth actually turned whiter in that time.)  So to hear that coffee maker sing its brewing tune, and to let that cobalt blue KitchenAid mixer crank at speed ten, simply made me smile.  


So why was it a good morning for coffee?  Well, because it was a good morning to stay encouraged.  Perhaps then this can be the time where I encourage you to encourage yourself.  For at least one moment of every day, is it possible to find something that makes you smile?  A smile apparent enough to almost forget about that elephant parading around in your head?  Maybe it’s snuggling with your spouse, or playing a new game with your child, or grabbing a bite with a friend.  Or maybe it’s simply making yourself a cup of coffee.