The Grateful Cup, Coffee Inspiration
November 12, 2025 inspiration, motivational, speaking Leave a comment
Go with no expectations and your expectations are exceeded every time. This is a phase I adopted several years ago and my trip to Guatemala was no exception.
Almost a year after I was invited to speak at a global conference comprising of 33 countries, I found myself taking the red eye (what was I thinking!) bound for Guatemala.
The International Women In Coffee conference (IWCA), comprised of women and men from all levels of coffee production, gathered in Guatemala City. Best practices from around the world were shared, challenges revealed and solutions given. New relationships were established and existing friendships deepened. Each day brought new discoveries and inspiration flourished. My presentation of Inspired Leadership blended best practices, laughter and a little dancing, along with a strong message of empowerment and possibilities. I was in my element and the conference was an overall success.
Life is like a good cup of coffee, full of flavor and meant to savor.
With my speaking event completed, I turned my attention to the next experience of my planned journey. I would spend six days on a working coffee farm. My primary goal was to relax, write, take a few pictures and renew a tired spirit from months of deadlines and the go, go, go of life.
Who am I? I am your average consumer, always in search of a great cup of coffee. Dedicated to the perfect cup.Those that work in coffee in the US call a trip like mine “origin” – visiting a land where coffee is grown. To my delight, I would be staying during the harvest season where the coffee berries are picked.
These are my memories that I share with you of an extraordinary journey into the truths of everyday life among traditional people in coffee in Guatemala.
Finca Pastores is a working coffee farm that I called home during my stay. The population of Pastores is slightly more than 800 people. It is famous for their leather boots, handcrafted furniture and in my opinion, tortillas. Hand made warm tortillas – everyday!
Ok, back to my coffee story . . .Finca Pastores is a beautiful farm and harvest time is a relaxed, joyous occasion. Men performed most of the physically demanding jobs, such as clearing, planting, pruning, and digging irrigation ditches. Women did much of the harvesting. The day I spent in the fields, one small happy child accompanied her mother. The young child gathered the low cherries, which were in reach by her tiny hands.
The Guatemalan harvesters pick only the ripe cherries, which are depulped by machine. The coffee berries are then left in water-filled fermentation tanks covered with parchment for up to forty-eight hours. From the fermentation tank the beans flow along a long channel, where the loosened mucilage washes off with the wastewater.
The beans are spread out to dry in the sun. The beans are then dried in huge rotating cylinders heated by dried parchment from previous batches, along with coal, gas, or wood pruned from shade trees.
The women hand sort the dried coffee, removing broken, blackened, moldy, or over fermented beans. The beans are sorted again and then bagged. And the bags of precious beans are stored in the warehouse, ready to be shipped all over the world.
The beautiful land of Guatemala gives up its gift in its own cycle of life – the season of coffee. The people have faith and hope that coffee will sustain their generations of families. Working in the fields and the factories is hard work. Still, the families that work in coffee are always cheerful and happy. I personally know happiness in a choice and yet I had to ask what makes them happy.
Each new day is the gift of life, and life is to be celebrated, every day. - Coffee Family Motto
I learned so much about coffee during the six days I spent on the farm. From planting and growing procedures to harvesting and production. I was surprised to learn how many of the beautiful coffee cherries must be picked to make just one cup of coffee – nearly half of a small coffee tree. I now have a deeper appreciation for the warmth of deliciousness I enjoy each morning.
And I learned to celebrate. I celebrated with the families each morning and again at night. Sharing stories, sharing culture, sharing good food and coffee, sharing life. We all cried the day I left Finca Pastores. I have always believed family is what you make it and this family made me a part of theirs, as they became a part of mine.
I returned home with a renewed sense and appreciation of our human differences, yet a renewed belief in the depth and joy of what we all share through the stories of our lives. I am now part of their legacy with the new stories I share, to celebrate their lives in coffee in Guatemala, one delicious cup, after cup, after cup.
Gratefulness is not confined to a day or a season. May the warmth of this 2014 holiday season last all year.
Cheers my friends!
Bonnie Milletto, is an International Keynote Speaker and Author of the book, “Dedicated To The Cup, Nine Ways to Reinvent A Life!” Twenty inspirational short stories to enjoy with your favorite cup. www.bonniemilletto.com/book
The book is a journey of the heart . . . my heart. To take you to places where I have been and the life lessons I have learned and to introduce you to some remarkable people in my life, who have shared their moments of truth in their lives. May these stories reach out from the page and touch you as they have touched me. It is my hope that you will see and feel our differences but also see and feel the many levels of life we all hold in common. We are all connected.
