My dear husband gave me a thoughtful gift this Christmas -- Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover's Soul. I haven't read all the sappy short stories in it yet, but I think I've already found my favorite. "The Truth About Coffee" shares the story of two couples, the author and her husband are visiting the author's brother and his wife for a weekend visit in Naperville, Illinois. They go for a chilly evening walk and chide each other about they need to get home before everyone's too tired for a game of Scrabble. It's like foreshadowing -- they get back and everyone is ready to call it a night. Except sister-in-law Trisha, suggests putting on a pot of coffee. Which they do. And then sure enough, they all perk up, play some games and talk about old times -- all the while remarking about how good it is to have coffee to wake one up.
The punch line (as you might have guessed) is Trisha laughing as she informs the other three of her discovery -- she unintentionally brewed DECAF coffee for them. This, of course, leads to the discovery decaf drinkers everywhere have made -- "it really wasn't the caffeine that kept us going throughout the years when we needed a lift. It was the camaraderie -- the closeness of family and friends... with tasty sips of coffee to hold onto for enjoyment or comfort."
Looking for some great-tasting decaf coffee for your next get-together?
