That’s Why I Don’t Drink Coffee

Coffee. It’s that hot drink with a rich, roasted aroma that everyone loves. Coffee. It’s the dark, slightly bitter flavor that everyone craves. Coffee. It’s the go-to when an extra boost of energy is needed.

Coffee. It’s something I’ve decided to live without.

And today, I want to tell you why.

In my parent’s home, children weren’t allowed to drink coffee. My dad jokingly told us that if we did, it would stunt our growth. I believed it. Sort of. And because I secretly hoped to be a 6ft tall basketball player, I wasn’t taking any chances.

Aside from the one time I stole a sip, that is. Curiosity kills the cat, and cold, leftover coffee in the coffeepot also kills any desire a young girl might have to try it again.

That’s why I don’t drink coffee!

If the adults actually enjoyed that nasty, bitter flavor, they could keep it in their adult world!

As a young teenager, I remember going to the hospital to visit an elderly family friend. She loved her black coffee. In fact, I don’t know if she drank anything else! The doctor had given her specific orders to cut back on coffee intake, because of her heart. She didn’t. And a heart attack was the result.

It was enough to scare the pants off a kid and any coffee-related thoughts out of my head!

That’s why I don’t drink coffee!

In fact, the second time I tried coffee, I was in college. My “care leader” loved hanging out in local coffee shops and often, that’s where we went for our ‘check in’ time. Finally, I allowed myself to be talked into a large pumpkin spice latte.

It certainly wasn’t the cold, black coffee I’d shuddered over as a young girl. But the large paper cup was so large. And the drink was so sweet. And on the drive back to the girl’s dorm, my belly wouldn’t stop complaining.

That’s why I don’t drink coffee! And I haven’t drank it since.

Some people are meant for coffee. Some people aren’t. And I “aren’t.”

Coffee always seemed like a nuisance. Folks were always saying they needed to cut back. And would, for a bit. But slowly, their intake would increase. They’d cut back. And increase. The see-sawing never ended.

I don’t even wanna go there! Which is why I don’t drink coffee.

Once I learned that coffee is a mild diuretic, my case against this popular hot drink only strengthened. If I was going to be chugging coffee, I also needed to chug more water. And who wants to spend that much time in the bathroom, all for a bitter cup of hot coffee?

Oh wait! I forgot. It’s supposed to be sugared up so that it’s enjoyable. Another reason I don’t drink coffee is because I don’t need a large blood-sugar spike one…or two…or three or four times… in my day!

And actually, the biggest reason I don’t drink coffee is because it can be (and often is) used to quiet the self-care signals a person’s body sends them. Particularly when it comes to rest and sleep.

So, so, so many people use coffee to keep them going when what they really need is to stop, listen to their body and obey the signals God has wired into them for their well being.

I know it’s an easy trap to fall into, this using-coffee-to-cover-exhaustion thing. And that’s why I don’t drink coffee, that’s why I’ve decided I don’t ever want to start.

I don’t want that option in my life. It would be all too easy (with chronic fatigue and other health issues) to start relying on it, instead of listening to my body. And that? It’s baaaaaad news! Lyme relapses are no joke and it can take a long time to pull out, once you’re down.

No. Coffee isn’t for me.

And so?

I smile and wave as I pass friends sipping their lattes in local coffee shops. I give polite “no thank-you’s” to the drink when offered. And in our home, I tell visitors to bring their own coffee. I ask them to make it too. Because this gal with her herbal tea-breath doesn’t know how!

Maybe…someday…when I’m old, sentimental and want to fit in…I’ll take the occasional cup of coffee with a friend. But right now, I’m young. I’m logical and rational. I’m keen on living my life as best I know how.

And that’s why I don’t drink coffee.