Coffee and the days gone by

(NLĐO) - Not everyone remembers the first time they drank coffee, but everyone remembers when they first needed it.

During my student days, coffee dates often began with a very familiar phrase: "Want to go for coffee?"

We chose coffee shops because they were cheap. A cup of coffee could last from morning until noon, enough for a group project, a casual conversation, or a fleeting glance. The coffee back then had a lot of milk. Because life was so sweet then!

A cup of black coffee, sometimes with little sugar, sometimes without sugar.

After graduating and starting work, coffee became even more essential. A quick takeaway. To stay awake. To meet deadlines. To combat those mornings when I wasn't ready. The coffee was a little stronger now. With a little less milk.

Then one day, when things started to go wrong and I didn't know who to tell them to. Sadnesses I couldn't name. I stopped drinking so quickly. I started brewing coffee. Slowly. Tearing open the paper filter coffee packet. Opening both knobs, placing them on the rim of the cup. Pouring hot water very slowly.

From a single red fruit on the mountain to a morning on someone's desk.

Each drop of coffee falls. Steady. Slowly…

It's like learning to sit down and be with myself.

A cup of black coffee, sometimes with little sugar, sometimes without sugar.

Not to appear strong. But to feel more deeply: the initial bitterness, and the very deep, lingering sweetness that follows.

Coffee teaches patience. To slow down. To understand that each cup of coffee is a journey: From a single red bean on the mountain to a morning on someone's desk.

Everything takes time. And so does life.

And then one day, I realized I wasn't just drinking coffee. I was drinking the days gone by.

Coffee teaches people patience.

(Entry for the "Impressions on Vietnamese Coffee and Tea" contest 2026, part of the 4th "Celebrating Vietnamese Coffee and Tea" program organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper ).

Source: https://nld.com.vn/ca-phe-va-nhung-ngay-da-di-qua-196260319153543842.htm