Jim’s First Cup
A friendship, a campfire, and the smell of the first pot of coffee.
When my brother and I were in our early teens, we joined the Boy Scouts of America with my best friend, Jimmy.
You really have to know Jimmy. I could write about him forever.
Jimmy—also known as Jim—is the kind of person who wants to meet everyone. And once he meets you, there is a good chance you are going to hear his life story. He has always had a way of turning a conversation into something you remember.
Before the First Cup
Back then, mornings at camp often meant waking up on the ground after sleeping under the stars. The troop leaders would already be getting the fires going: coffee for the adults, hot cocoa for the boys, and breakfast to get everyone moving.
We were young, but that smell stayed with me.
Coffee brewing over a fire has a memory attached to it. Along with the coffee, there was a little smoke in the air—the smell of the fire that was making the whole morning possible.
As we grew older and approached the end of our years in Scouts as boys, those mornings became part of a much bigger story: friendship, growing up, and learning how much you can enjoy being outdoors with the right people.
The Mornings That Stayed with Us
Years later, camping became part of some of our photography trips. Different locations, different photo sessions, but there we were again, making coffee the same way—over an open fire.
One familiar smell could take me straight back.
Over the years, Jim became a coffee lover, finding coffees from around the world. So whenever I walk into a coffee bean store or a coffee shop where the aroma of roasted beans fills the room, I think of him. I think of those Scout mornings. And I think of the trips that gave us more stories to tell.
Some memories come back through a photograph. Others come back before you even know why, carried by a familiar scent.
Why Jim’s First Cup?
This candle brings those memories together: the friend who always has a story, the coffee brewing at camp, and the warmth of a morning shared.
Coffee forms the heart of the fragrance, with vanilla to soften its edges. The jar includes a hint of smoke, recalling that old coffee pot over the flames. The smaller tin offers a coffee-and-vanilla version.
We named it Jim’s First Cup for Jimmy, for the years of friendship, and for all the mornings that began with a pot of coffee and nowhere more important to be.
If you know Jim, you already know there is probably another story coming.
If you don’t, perhaps this candle will remind you of someone in your own life—the friend you camped with, the person who always put the coffee on, or the morning you wish you could visit again.
Bring the Memory Home
Choose a 9.3 oz jar or a 2.7 oz tin and make a little room for your own quiet morning.
Every Candle Has a Story.
This one starts with Jim.