When the doctor and nutritionist ordered that I couldn’t or shouldn’t have any more coffee, I cried.
Who doesn’t love a good cup of coffee?
The doctors in Tijuana prescribed no caffeine in my diet from now until further notice. I groaned. I knew caffeine was a problem for years, but I kept trying. Because Java was so compelling! A good cup of Joe was just so delicious and made absolute sense first thing in the morning to me; and more than half of the world agrees with me. And darn it, it has become a fun thing to do when meeting others.
Coffee shops with cool names and viby atmospheres are popping up everywhere. My kids love to go to these places and it’s okay.
My husband was actually told by his doctor that his body does better when drinking a cup a day… so he has two!
I was so bummed by this recommendation that I became desperate to make peace with myself over the no caffeine prescription. I had latched onto teas, but I still preferred the caffeinated ones. I didn’t like the fruity-tooty ones. I felt like I was drinking hot Jello! It did nothing for me. I almost became depressed by the life sentence of non-caffeinated beverages. Occasionally I was allowed to have a green tea without honey or sugar, because, well, that’s my diet. I only have one a week if that. It’s just not as fun! Coffees in America have become the new, any-time dessert that’s totally acceptable for everyone to enjoy! Except me! (At least that’s the way it felt.)
Since I am a Christian, I am constantly reminded that I am to find contentment in all circumstances. The wrestling with my taste buds was real! The whole mind over matter thing was taken up a notch in Tijuana. Zack would stroll out every morning to Costa Tosta coffee shop on the corner and get his delectable brew and I sat and waited for him to come back so we could walk to the clinic.
By the way, at the clinic the only coffee in the building was for the other side of your body, if you know what I mean. If you don’t, here goes the explanation, most cancer clinics will use green bean coffee enemas for cancer patients. My doctor said I could not have these either because of the location and bleeding of the cancer for which I was there to overcome.
Zack would come back with his hot café latte’ and I would, depending on how I felt that day, I would want to be right next to him and inhaling the sweet, mocha aroma or be on the other side of the room to avoid the serious temptation. Luckily, he only indulged in the elixir in the a.m. The rest of the day I was usually busy with treatments. I only had to wrestle with the inclination towards a latte’ every single morning while the aroma wafted around my man.
I had tried unreasonable substitutes in the past; much to my dissatisfaction. There is nothing quite like a good cup of Joe.
So, this was my new life. And I had to make peace with it. The next thing that happened was as organic as most of my food these days. A strange and wonderful thing happened quite by chance, and I was grabbing onto this with gusto. Zack would be sipping his café’ and I would be next to him. Well, if you know Zack, he’s a touchy guy and likes to kiss me. Given our situation, me being in a cancer clinic, he was sneaking in plenty of kisses as the days went on. This soon became The Coffee Kiss.
Tijuana was a year ago. It seems like a lifetime ago. But one thing is still a part of our daily routine, you guessed it, the Coffee Kiss. I am usually sitting in bed in the morning reading the bible. And I can hear him in the kitchen grinding the beans and heating up the water. When I hear the tink, tink, tink, of the spoon stirring in his cup I know in a few seconds, he’ll come padding into the bedroom sipping coffee and walking right towards me with a smile.
Now, it’s my coffee too! He kisses me and I get two for one! Coffee and Kisses!
Wonderful Coffee-flavored kisses!
Caffeine-free, almost dairy-free, and not sugar-free if you are from the south! Have you ever heard that Southern thing? “Give me some sugar!” or it’s more like, “Come on over here and give momma some sugar!”
I love my coffee in the morning!
By Monica DuBois
5/5/2022
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