December 12, 2009

Tea and Friendship



My friend, Teresa, often sends things to brighten my day. After an especially taxing week, I opened the mailbox to find this beautiful book waiting inside. Along with quotes, poems, and tea lore, The Art of Tea and Friendship includes charming paintings by the author, Sandy Lynam Clough.

J.R. began drinking hot tea in place of coffee nineteen years ago. He asked me time and time again to just try it because he wanted us to enjoy it together. I tried it once, and didn’t care for it. He continued to drink hot tea (alone) from a Stanley thermos without the pomp and pageantry that I had always associated with drinking tea. No herbal or perfumed teas drunk from small china cups with carved sugar lumps or cream. No, it was straight, black, hot tea poured from a Stanley thermos. The thermos was well worn from being lugged through recycling yards, demolition jobs, on airplanes, in hotels, and then back home again to be parked beside his office desk or his favorite recliner.



About three years ago, the “a-ha” light turned on in my head. I realized that the man of my dreams was not asking me just to try to like hot tea, but to spend precious time connecting with him during this tea time. (Wouldn’t Debi Pearl have a field day with that one?) Immediately, I began tasting various teas and found a favorite which quickly became my fella’s favorite too. Our mornings now began with Scottish Breakfast Tea nicely poured from a teapot with the manly motif of an English hunting scene.



I must admit that my day is now not complete without a full half gallon of good steaming hot black tea drunk cup by cup with cream and honey. But, do you know what? My preferred way to drink tea is just how I first saw him partake of it - poured straight from his Stanley work thermos into a big mug that I can wrap my hands around….as I wrap my heart around his.

When I received The Art of Tea and Friendship, I was reminded of a morning two months ago when J.R. was out of town and before our morning phone call, he texted me a picture of his empty breakfast plate and drink. My text back was the picture below. My cup of tea, the Bible opened to the page I had been reading, and his empty recliner. He knew that I was saying, “My tea time is not complete without you.”



There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea. Bernard-Paul Heroux

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a sweet post :-) I am so glad you enjoyed the gift. From the moment it sat there on the shelf til the moment I flipped to the last page it was screaming CONNIE RIGGS needs this book for her tea collection and collectables. So glad you were pleased !!! Also glad for the sweet memories you and your husband are making morning after morning !!! Enjoy ~

Teresa Haley

Aleshia said...

Hi Sis. Connie,
I LOVED that post! I have re-read it 3 or 4 times! I told Barley to tell you I enjoy your blogs so mcuh, but I just realized, I can tell you myself! My mom (In His Will) likes reading your blog too. Thanks for posting such good topics!!!

Aleshia Hayes

Deliberate Living said...

Thank you, Aleshia.

J.R. is so easy to be married to. :) He's a good dad also. I'm sure you know all about having good parents though. :) I feel like I know yours somewhat already from the posts I've read on M.A.N. We're looking forward to meeting them in person.

I'll be sure to keep up with your mom's blog. She's brave to have one with the new baby. But, I guess those twilight feeding hours can be an opportune time for posting. ;) I need to update mine more, but, there seems to be so little time...

Connie

Neshia said...

Connie,

Hey! I just got on my blog and read your comment. See, I'm not very good at keeping up with this.haha I had to have Aleshia's help in trying to reply back to you. I'm better with my e-mail. At least I can check it everyday. Our computer is in our bedroom, so during late night feedings with Steven,(though he is starting to sleep better)I would probably wake Jeff. I enjoy reading your page and looking at all the pictures. You have a nice family. We are looking forward to meeting Barley this weekend. It would be nice if allof you could come. But will be nice whenever we all can meet. Our church is small, so there are very few youth. I'm glad you feel comfortable with letting him fellowship with them. We will watch out for him while he's here.

Neshia(jnhayes@tennesseetel.net)

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