Black Coffee & Life: Learning to Appreciate the Essentials

This morning, as I sipped my now-usual black coffee, something clicked.

A few months ago, I couldn’t imagine drinking coffee without cream. The bitterness felt too sharp, the flavor too bold. But due to food intolerances—dairy being one of them—I had no choice but to adjust. At first, it felt like a sacrifice. Coffee was my comfort drink, and black coffee felt… incomplete.

But here’s the thing: the more I drank it, the more I started to appreciate the raw, unfiltered taste. It wasn’t sweet. It wasn’t smooth. But it was honest.

And this morning, I realized something.

The things we add to coffee—cream, sugar, flavored syrups—they’re not essential. They’re extras. Add-ons to make the experience feel softer, sweeter, easier to swallow. And isn’t that just like life?

We often layer our lives with extras too. Not always material things, but routines, distractions, and habits that make us feel better. They’re not always bad—but sometimes, they distract us from appreciating what’s already good.

Drinking black coffee has taught me to sit with discomfort, to slow down, and to taste things for what they really are. Life is the same. When we peel back the layers, the extras, the filters—we’re left with something real. And that’s where the beauty lies.

So here’s to black coffee, and to life—bold, honest, and perfectly enough on its own