Morning Ritual

My dad did it for my mom, my brother-in-law does it for my sister and as tradition would have it, my husband does it for me. What is it?

For 29 years my husband has brought me coffee in bed. Before I have even opened my eyes the aroma of the mug by my bedside sends a wake up call to my brain. I roll over and reach out, and there it is, a freshly ground, french-pressed cup of coffee. It is simply heaven and not something that I take for granted either. This ritual is one of the most treasured gifts that my dear husband has given me and believe me I cherish his loving kindness.

Call me spoiled but my dad did the same thing for my mom, well almost. Back in those days my dad would wake up early and "put the coffee on" - the language to be used when one percolates the coffee. In my mind's ear I still hear the sound of their Corning coffee pot being placed back on its holder on the kitchen counter. Back then my mom used Poppytrail's Sculptured Grape as her everyday china and I still treasure the memory of holding that coffee cup in my hand while siting at the kitchen table. Once the coffee was brewed, my dad lovingly placed a cup of coffee by my mom's bedside. Sadly, I don't think my mom ever realized what a kind gesture it was to have her coffee given to her before she even stepped out of bed. At our house we have assorted pottery mugs we use for morning coffee. My favorite mugs are the ones made by Polly the Potter, a well-known Atlanta potter (Polly Made Me is how she signs her work). You can enjoy dining or drinking coffee from Polly's pottery at Atlanta restaurants such as the Flying Biscuit, Stone Soup and Savage Pizza.

My husband has added a bonus gift to his weekend deliveries these days. Now in addition to my morning coffee, my husband has gotten into the habit of bringing me my laptop too. There are some things that husbands do that are just too outstanding for words and for me it's coffee and a laptop.