I don’t finish my coffee
There’s a strange, like almost a harmonic beauty in a cup of coffee left half-empty
I didn’t usually like coffee until middle high school. I enjoy different kinds of coffee, from black to latte, white to mocha, and even in flavors like strawberry and matcha. I treat my coffee like a 3-in-1 boost of nutrients, like a “100-in-1 fuel energy on a cup,” where in one sip, I feel like my soul has been retrieved again.
Just like every morning, I go through the same ritual: I make my coffee with extra cream and let myself savor the aroma as I pour the hot water into my cup as it fills the kitchen. I take a few sips while I check my to-do notes and see if there are unfinished tasks or just enjoying the silence and warmth of the morning view that embraces me. But then, without any signal, as I’m being guided by an invisible hand, my mind and attention shift elsewhere. The coffee cup sits on the kitchen counter, slowly cooling, while I dive into family chores, phone, television, book, or even just my dog.
It’s not that I don’t like coffee — I genuinely do; I enjoy my coffee very much. The mixture of bitterness and sweetness that embraces my tongue, the way it sharpens my senses, and the warmth of those first sips that sometimes burnt my tongue — these are undeniably deeply satisfying. Yet, here I am as I get caught up in the whirlwind of my mind and daily life, the coffee remains, a silent witness to my distractions and scattered focus.
I somehow noticed this kind of behavior, so I became curious of what’s the tendency why I leave my coffee unfinished. After several researchers, Psychologists suggest that it might tied up into a broader sense of unfinished business. Well, if you’re anything like me, who will start a task, project, meal, or even a good book full of energy, creativity, and enthusiasm, only to leave it halfway done. This doesn’t always indicate being irresponsible or a lack of discipline and commitment; often, it’s a reflection of how we view and navigate our hands full of distractions and competing priorities.
Leaving a cup of coffee unfinished might be a metaphor, where our mind and attention are constantly pulled in different directions. Maybe it’s a small act of rebellion against the expectations of completion, or in a way, it’s a reminder that it’s okay not to finish everything we start — sometimes, it’s the experience that matters, not the end.
If we look at it more positively, there’s also a mindfulness aspect to this behavior or habit. Whenever I don’t finish my coffee, it draws me to be attentive and present at that moment. I felt that I was not pressured to finish a cup of coffee before it got cold; instead, I let myself savor the moment between each sip, the pauses in my day where I could simply exist.
The habit of not finishing my coffee can be seen as a reflection of mindfulness. It’s about accepting the idea that not everything needs to be completed to be appreciated.
Allowing myself to leave my coffee unfinished is like allowing myself to focus on the present rather than being driven by the need for completion.
In the end, whether I finish my coffee or not, what matters is how I embrace the moments in between. So, here’s to the half-empty cups and the unfinished mornings.
