Did you suspend your coffee?
I've always been attracted to quaint, cute little coffee shops. On one rainy London Friday, I saw a café with a sign that said 'We support Suspended Coffee' — and it changed something in me.
I have always been attracted to quaint, cute little coffee shops which are tucked into a nice corner. I loved London more because of this very reason. I am not a coffee drinker but I love going into a cute cafe and just getting absorbed in my book and a large cup of Chai.
It was on one of those usual rainy, London Fridays that I saw this cafe with a sign that said "We support Suspended Coffee". As quirky as it sounded (and I get attracted to such quirky stuff always!) I had to ask what the sign meant. And I was in for a surprise.
The Suspended Coffees movement was born on March 27, 2013. The idea to start this movement belongs to John M. Sweeney, after he read about an old Italian tradition called café sospeso. The tradition began in the working-class cafés of Naples, where someone who could afford to do so would order a café sospeso, paying the price of two coffees but receiving and consuming only one. The second coffee could then be claimed by someone less fortunate.
What a fantastic idea! The passionate tea lover in me was completely sold and without any regrets I decided to cheat and order a coffee for myself and 2 other suspended coffees.
That day I understood why they say you don't need to donate large amounts of money or goods, or be part of a charitable organization to make a difference. The smallest gesture — as small as a cup of coffee — can make someone's day.
We live in a world where we are constantly scrolling through news of disasters and negativity. And it is easy to feel powerless. But the truth is, kindness is everywhere. It just needs a little nudge from us to show up.
So — did you suspend your coffee today?