Have a Cup of Coffee and

Random Acts of Kindness Day. Yes, there is actually a day set aside to be kind. In some parts of the world, it is observed on November 4 or September 1. Here, where I live in America it is February 17. If you ask me, we should be kind every day. But I’ll take what I can get.

Some of the suggested ways to be kind according to RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) is to pay for another person’s meal in a drive-thru, allowing someone in line ahead of you, buying extra groceries and donating them to a food pantry. These are all things Hubby and I have done. The line thing is a regular occurrence at the grocery store. We do our shopping once a week, so the cart tends to be full. If there’s a person or several people behind us with only a few items, of course we let them go first. Our church maintains a food closet, and we regularly donate canned goods on Sunday. I don’t think we’ve ever looked at it as Random Acts of Kindness. Donating to a food closet is all about blessings. God has blessed us with food on our table. Naturally, we share that blessing. And the line thing – I know if we were in line with a few items and the person ahead of us had a cart full, we’d appreciate moving ahead, so why not do that for others? We don’t go through a drive-thru very often. But we have paid for a strangers meal. It could be someone who seems down on their luck or someone serving in the military or law enforcement.

Once upon a time in San Francisco, it was a tradition to pay the toll for the car behind you on Fridays when crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. These days that’s no longer possible as there are no toll booths. You still pay, but not in person while crossing the bridge. It’s a very complicated process for those who rarely drive on toll roads but very convenient for regular commuters. Hum, I just realized, we haven’t been into the city since the state did away with Toll Takers. I thought it was sad because people could no longer show kindness. And as a kid, I always waived to the toll takers. These days little in life is done in person. We are all anonymous creatures in our little bubble world. All the more reason for Random Acts of Kindness,.

It’s a scientific fact that being kind is good for more than just the recipient and the doer. People who witness acts of kindness, acts of compassion, undergo a chemical change, too. It’s also leading by example, and changing the world one kind act at a time. It’s something that we need to encourage in ourselves, in others and most of all in our children. For they are the future of mankind. Wouldn’t it be nice if the world were a kinder place to live?

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32

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Today is also Café au Lait Day. Now I will confess, I did look that up. What the heck is Café au Lait? Turns out it a very fancy way of saying “coffee with milk”. This is not to be confused with Cappuccinos or other coffee confections that combine milk with coffee. First off, the coffee is strongly brewed coffee, not an espresso. The milk is scalded and not steamed. And there is no foam involved. The ratio is straight forward – equal parts strong coffee and heated milk. Which is why I recommend a very strong coffee to begin with. All the more reason to use Chicory. If you are a fan of New Orleans Brews (which I am), then you know that during the Civil War the folks in the Big Easy found a way of blending coffee with chicory roots when there was a shortage of beans making their way into the city. Chicory Coffee is now a signature of New Orleans. Perfect with a cookie or better yet, Beignets.

Café au Lait
4 cups Water
4 scoops Regular Ground Coffee or to taste
4 scoops Chicory Coffee or to taste
4 oz Milk for each 8 oz cup of Coffee

Boil water in a kettle. While the water comes to a boil, place ground in the bottom of a 32-Ounce French Press.

Pour boiling water over the grounds, stir and let grounds settle for a few minutes. Place press just above the grounds, press down. Let coffee steep for 4 minutes.

Measure out the needed amount of milk. Place a heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat. Heat the milk to scalding without allowing milk to come to a boil.

Transfer 4 ounces of milk and 4 ounces of brewed coffee to small pouring pitchers. Pour coffee and milk into a warm coffee cup. Repeat for each cup serving. If desired, coffee can be sweetened.

Serve and enjoy.