A Cup of Tea, or 2, or 3!

Something as simple as preparing and drinking a cup of tea can be important!

Cultures all around the world seem to know this. The Japanese High Tea ceremony is filled with ritual and proper ways to prepare and share tea... Preparation can't be hurried... There are no shortcuts. Having a High Tea isn't just about drinking a liquid; it's about the whole experience- something very special.

Tea is also known for being important to the British. My friend, Kay, always gave detailed instructions as to the proper way to prepare tea. It was pretty complicated to get everything ready to serve tea and cookies. Kay seemed to be able to tell when it the kettle hadn't boiled OR when the cup and teapot weren't heated properly with scalding water before being filled with tea. And one had to use a fabric "tea cozy" to keep the whole brew steamy and ready to use. Of course, the cookies all needed to be beautifully, artfully arranged on a plate. Whew! It was a challenge to get all those details right, but I loved the drinking and cookie-eating part. :-)

My fascination with teas and tea drinking started very long ago. When I was a girl, tea drinking was a major family ritual. We often sat and drank tea together... And, if there was some kind of family emergency, the first thing that happened was that somebody put the kettle on! Once the tea was poured into cups, we'd all gather around the kitchen table to sort out the details, talk about the possibilities, and come to a group consensus about what to do. Somehow, the soothing conversation along with the mellow tea always made things better.

Interestingly, in 2006 a book was published called Three Cups of Tea...The theme concerned an important set of rituals surrounding tea in Pakistan and nearby lands. There, just like in Japan and Great Britain, there is a well-established protocol. (See http://www.threecupsoftea.com )

Despite my lifelong love of tea and my elaborate set of tea experiences, it wasn't until I read Three Cups of Tea that the aha! moment came. Three cups of tea was all about building relationships... connecting with others... recognizing and honoring one another.

Truth is, that's the same message I learned implicitly as a girl with my family meeting around the kitchen table. Tea drinking had an unwritten script (especially at tough times): "We're all in this together... and together we'll get through it."

So, it's no small wonder that, I love tea and all it symbolizes. I've always dreamed of having a huge teapot collection. Teapots can be pretty or exotic or just plain functional. Still, I haven't gotten all those teapots collected yet; mainly because I never could figure out where I'd keep them! But alas, at any hour, you will find at least a dozen different varieties of tea in my pantry. And family members seem to know that I will never object if they send me more! (For the last two Christmases, I've received gifts of tea and tea-related supplies.) I've got green teas, black teas, herbal teas, and an assortment of both the teabag and loose tea varieties. They all have a place of honor in my kitchen pantry... a whole shelf to themselves.

Tea is special... a way to soothe the soul and connect with others, even when one drinks solo because the memories of other tea-drinking times come seeping through. For me, tea is always a way to be inspired and renewed. There is never a bad time to drink tea choic. Indeed, I think I'll go put the kettle on and head to the pantry to see what variety appeals fits! Forgive me, Julia, but for me it's Bon Appe-tea!