The Complications of Coffee Cups

 One of my favorite things in the world is a nice hot drink, either tea or chai or coffee or cocoa or cider... it is so comforting and delights my soul. And I especially enjoy hot drinks with friends, for they always seem sweeter because of our time together. 

Now let me explain what makes this simple pleasure complicated.

My hands, wrists, and arms are pretty weak. I have trouble gripping handles on mugs, raising a cup from a tabletop to my mouth, and tilting a cup to sip. I do better with paper cups because they aren't as heavy and have less of a proclivity to be too hot to hold with both hands. But I do draw the line at using a straw, because it is all too easy to burn your lips, tongue and throat with one sip. Plus, it just doesn't seem proper.

Needless to say, I get by with a little help from my friends.  I've learned to explain how to help me, in four steps:

1. Prop my elbows on the table in front of me. Depending on the table height and shape and my proximity to it, this step may also include some adjusting of the elbows - together or apart, forward or backward, etc. 

2. Raise my hands. If my arm is laid out on a table, I don't usually have the strength to flex my bicep to bend my elbow and bring my hand to my face gracefully, so just take my hands and pick them up for me. 

3. Hand me the cup. I typically like to grasp the cup around the bottom so I have more leverage with the tilt, so I might urge you to lift the cup higher than you expect. Once I've got it, I can hold and sip pretty well on my own. 

4. Put it down. If I need a break, I will ask you to set the cup down for a minute. If I do, you may want to be quick about it! It's usually because I feel my grip slipping or my arms falling, and I'm probably on the verge of dropping it, no matter how calm and composed I appear to be. 

You may have figured out by now that a coffee date with me is going to be a lot more... interactive...? than normal, but I hope that just makes you eager to experience it all the more! If you're curious about how friendship caregiving works, this is a great place to start. 

Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 14, 2022 at 6:54 AM

    My favorite is a hot chai tea in the morning 🌄

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousJuly 14, 2022 at 2:02 PM

      You my dear lady make me want to grab the next flight to Ft. Wayne and have a cuppa!

      Delete

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