There is something extremely comforting about the smell of coffee. Some studies classify it as a drug and no wonder. It can be intoxicating to me. Freshly brewed has a slightly sticky molasses smell that is delicious. If I walk in to a house that is permeated by that smell I feel like I’m home. Maybe that is strange for such a common smell. The only other smell that makes me feel that comfortable is the pages of books….
Perhaps it’s that the smell reminds me of family? My earliest memories are my mom and dad with coffee breath whispering in my ear or talking low to my face. My grandparents always had coffee on and even when I was little would offer me my own little cup mixed with milk and plenty of sugar. Their house, breath and clothes were always this heady mix of coffee and nicotine.
When I was back from University for a visit, I went to my grandparent’s house and sat and drank black coffee with them. They claimed “If it’s not black you are not a coffee drinker, just a caffeine junkie that likes coffee flavoured milk!” I am definitely a coffee drinker. The blacker the better. If it’s bitter, I’ll add a bit of brown sugar. But when I am adding that bit of sugar, I always hear my Grandma’s voice chiding me that I am not a true coffee drinker. And it makes me laugh.
In University a true break always involved coffee at a coffee shop. That smell of strong coffee, the low sound of talking in the air, the decor. It was a breath of fresh air. We would order our coffee, take a strong whiff of its caramel roasted scent and sit. The whole ritual is extremely comforting. And then the laughter and conversation would start between us ….
Coffee is the smell of comfort, laughter, calm, and home.
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