Have you ever been driving behind somebody who seems to have nowhere in particular to be? You're looking at the clock. They're sightseeing. You're thinking, “The light is GREEN!” They're apparently waiting for a personal invitation. Then you finally get around them, hurry to the next traffic light—and guess who pulls up right beside you? Yep. The person you worked so hard to pass. Sometimes all that rushing gets us to exactly the same place. That's why today's cup is Espíritu-de-Colombia, our decaf blend. Decaf sometimes gets treated like coffee's quiet cousin, but there's some pretty interesting science behind it. Here's today's coffee fact: decaffeination generally happens while the coffee is still green, before roasting. Different processes can remove most of the caffeine while aiming to preserve the compounds that contribute to the coffee's character. Afterward, those green beans still need to be roasted just like other coffee. So decaf isn't coffee that somehow forgot what it was supposed to do. It's still coffee, it simply took a different road. There's something encouraging about that. We don't all have to move at the same speed. Maybe somebody else is building faster, traveling farther or accomplishing something sooner. Good for them. Their pace doesn't have to become yours. Sometimes a slower evening with a cup of decaf, a conversation with somebody you love, and nowhere you have to rush off to is exactly what you need. Life isn't always a race. And just because somebody passes you doesn't mean they're going somewhere better. They may simply arrive at the next red light first. So, enjoy Espíritu-de-Colombia and give yourself permission to slow down once in a while. Visit Cager's Coffee Hut at www.cagerscoffeehut.com and remember to keep brewing kindness one cup at a time.