My Mom Fuel

When I was a little girl my mom always had a STRONG cup of coffee with her. She had a coffee (splash of milk and a little sugar) first thing in the morning. Then there was a cup of coffee next to her as she talked on the phone, smoking a Newport (yeah 80’s!), and doodling on whatever envelope was on the table. Heck, she drank coffee until it was time to switch to a dirty martini or vodka on ice. She will forever be my hero.

I thought coffee was the devil.

When I was a child I wanted NOTHING to do with her coffee and got upset when she asked me to grab her a cup. It looked, smelled, and tasted gross. I wanted nothing to do with it…until college when there was a coffee shop on our meal plan. Out of nowhere I found myself getting drinks that more closely resembled milkshakes than good and honest coffee to get me through my 18 hours of classes and homework on top of work, theatre, and sorority obligations. 

Soon I was hitting the proverbial coffee cart before my 7am shift at the radio station and refilling on my way to class. My day just didn’t really start until I had that jolt…but it didn’t need it to keep my going until happy hour like my mom did.

Flash forward to my post-college life. 

I took the fast track from co-ed to married to “in the family way.” So less than one year after receiving my diploma I was crying for a cup of coffee to get my day started as my belly grew and grew. I know now that I could of had it, but during my first pregnancy everything I read said not to for fear of miscarriage. While I didn’t have a personal history with miscarriage, members of my family had so I was overly cautious. To this day I do not know how I survived those nine months.

However, the first thing I asked for when my son was born was Starbucks. I wasn’t a fool! I had been up for over 24 hours, drove through an ice storm, and pushed a baby out of my body and I needed something to get me through the initial round of company…and getting to know my Monkey Boy.

Over the next 3 years we would add 2 more munchkins to our family and as my family grew, so did my reliance on my mommy fuel. Now that they are all in elementary school, my husband and I split that first pot of the day and I usually throw on a second after he is out the door. My plate is full with work, volunteering, and the ever present housework. If I do not have myself a second pot of coffee I will not make it through my to-do list before the kids get home or my days that don’t end until 10pm. There is a reason that I got Starbucks gift cards for Christmas this year.

Yes, I know that water is better for me than my black coffee, but it doesn’t make me happy in the same way. There is just something about drinking my black, bean water out of my favorite to-go mug that gives me the boost I need to make it through the day. Heck, I love coffee so much I have dedicated a Pinterest Board to it! If you ever want to meet up for coffee, give me a shout! 

Is coffee your mommy fuel, or is there something else that keeps you moving? Are you one of those “I don’t drink coffee” people?