Cheers

       I realized today that while my boss always pours herself a second cup of coffee, she never drinks it. I find it later in the day sitting on a table, or shelf, or tucked into the microwave with the best of intentions, but always room temperature and forgotten. I realized also that I do the same thing. I drink my first cup of tea but then I refill the cup with hot water and sip at it in a noncommittal fashion for a brief while before ultimately abandoning it to chill on the kitchen counter. Is this habit just plain wasteful? Yes, a bit. But it's also symbolic. We don't need the second cup like we do the first; the necessary jolt of caffeine that is so welcomed in the early morning. The second cup is a gesture. Nothing feels as good as sitting down to a full cup of steaming beverage, and though we don't need the second round, we're just not quite ready to accept we've hit the bottom after only one go. So we pour the second mugful, though not for ourselves. The first cup of caffeine is for us but the second is for the day; an offering that says this hot, full, happy feeling can last.

Yes, the caffeine matters, but so does the mug. The mug sets the mood.