Last spring my son was working in Tepic, Nayarit MX. He was working with the local coffee growers during the harvest. Since then, I've been able to enjoy some of that harvest that has been imported and roasted by some American coffee roasters.
This first one was roasted in Chicago and the profits all went to support mental health and suicide awareness.
The second was from an association that is made up of all women growers.
And most recently, the Sip of Hope coffee was used by a craft beer company in this coffee porter.
The thing is -- I have a connection to each of these products. My son was a part of bringing these products to my palate. He met and worked with the growers of the beans that went into them. He was at the mills where the cherries were processed, and he was one of the people cupping and grading the beans. It's almost as if I have some small investment in (and connection to) the people, the earth, and the coffee, itself.
This morning's coffee is a single origin coffee from the mountains of Honduras. As I sip this coffee, I am thinking about the farmers that grew and harvested the cherries. I'm thinking about the people that processed and transported the beans. I'm thinking there were a lot of people involved in bringing me this coffee from the earth on a mountain in Honduras to my coffee cup in Highlandville MO...
...and I am so appreciative of their contributions to my morning ritual.
When I look at it that way, it is a wonder this cup of coffee doesn't cost a small fortune!
But more than that, there is great value in pausing to enjoy the quiet moment, savoring the taste and subtle flavors of the region, and feeling connected to the people that produced and brought this simple cup of coffee to the Ozarks of Southwest Missouri.
The coffee beans that came into existence on a mountain in Central America will end up as grounds decomposing in the soil of Southwest MO. It's really kind of amazing.
How are you connected today?
How far has somebody reached to touch your life?
How far will your influence and contributions of the day reach?
Are we all connected?
John
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