All hail the morning cup of Joe and rightfully so! After crude oil, coffee is the most sought after commodity in the world. Putting it ahead of treasures such as natural gas, gold, sugar and corn, coffee is easily valued at over $100 billion worldwide. So you’d think it would make perfect sense that something as simple and beloved as a cup of this natural wonder would effortlessly find its way into our lives. Well, I’m sorry to have to say this, but you’d be wrong.

Ann was a consumer of the “recently shunned” sugary, diet soft drinks for well over a decade! Coffee never really wore a ceremonial robe in our home until just a few years ago. It’s far easier to obtain caffeine from a pill (Excedrin… cough, cough!) than drinking 8 ounces of a cup of “good morning America,” an opinion that can still be heard within earshot of Ann to this day. Yes, coffee plays its standard role, performing flawlessly for Ann every morning, but its true place, its sincerest value for her lies in its smell…

Ann and I are no strangers to loss. Over the years, we both have watched a considerable number of close friends and family members take their first step towards forever.  After about a year in our first home, one of Ann’s family members passed. Their bond was pure and you could see it in Ann’s eyes every time their name was mentioned.

Years after, Ann would randomly, without notice, smell coffee. It wouldn’t matter where we were or what was going on around us, the aroma would just suddenly appear. Now mind you, when this happened, there wasn’t a single ground of coffee for miles… I know, I investigated!   Ann would then quickly ask if I could smell this very specific brand of coffee and before I could answer, that wholesome look would take center stage.

I always found the whole process to be quite mysterious, but I never questioned it.  Not long after all this began I was introduced to a theory. It is believed by some that when a love one passes, from time to time, they’ll send a gift of comfort.  Such ethereal kindness is almost always familiar in nature to the receiver whether it is a fleeting memory, a warm feeling or in Ann’s case, an accustomed smell.

Clearly, I can’t tell you, with certainty, what to believe, but I can say this… if something as simple as a smell can be considered the cause for a moment of peace within the heart of another, who am I to question it and more notably, who am I to take that away?!

So in honor of every sip, every percolation and every tired eye that finds itself in need, I present this cup of coffee. Every time I see a cup of coffee now, I wait patiently for Heaven to comfort her. I watch for the fragrant hints of what once was to briefly fill her eyes and most importantly, I see her, just as unconditionally as I did when I first laid eyes on her… almost eighteen years ago.

Medium: Watercolors
Size: 6 x 4 (inches)
Materials: 90lb Cold Press Paper
Frame: Mini Wooden Shadow Box with Glass (4 5/8"W x 6 5/8"T x 1.25"D)
Completed: Saturday, October 4, 2014

Artist: Adam Kiger
Represented By: Park View Gallery
Artist's Website: www.adamkiger.com

Who is Ann and what is 31 flavors of love?!