Griffin Hughes

I have always understood the importance of a good cup of coffee. Each morning, I would wake up to that wonderful scent of freshly, brewed coffee that my mom always put on. She had a cup every morning, and she often said she wasn’t herself without that morning cup of joe.

One day, I decided to try some of that coffee, and oh, did I despise the taste . . . but the more I drank it, the more it grew on me. From there, I found myself slightly addicted and often found myself to be drinking a cup every day, cream and sugar, just as my mom did. My mom introduced me to the caffeinated drink just as her father introduced the drink her.

Whenever I visited my grandpa, he would always have a pot of coffee freshly brewed for the day. We would all get a cup and relax on his porch making long-lasting memories that I would later look back on, sad to no longer have those moments, but happy we were able to have them. Some of the best moments that I can remember of him were with a cup of coffee in hand. Saying goodbye to him was one of the hardest things our family had to do, but we can always remember him through those moments we all shared over a pot of coffee at his house.

Coffee has always played an important role in my life from the first thing in the morning trying to wake up and start the day to those late nights trying to stay up and finish that assignment. I even got my first job as a Starbucks barista since I knew that I would be able to satisfy that bit of an addiction by working. Coffee is much more than just a bitter, caffeinated beverage that millions of people drink every day. It's a beverage that brings people together to make connections and create lasting memories that we can cherish and remember with a good cup of coffee to go with it.