I woke up today with the rainy mist moistly making its way through my opened windows and onto my red-toenailed feet that stuck out the end of my duvet. Yuck.
I wrapped my thick, fleecey housecoat around me and slipped my cold grey feet into my slippers to protect them. It was so gray when I went into the kitchen I had to turn on the light, as if it was sunset darkness outside, and not 7 a.m.
I knew it was a day I would rely on tea.
When I think about what ingredients make a perfectly peaceful moment, tea always makes the list, usually along with a silk duvet, an addictive book and jazz music.
When I became to poor to buy milk this winter, (I can do without, I get my calcium elsewhere, worriers) I knew I’d have to find teas I could enjoy without it. I pushed some Sidekicks packages out of the way in my cupboard and found the pink box of Hibiscus tea my Aunt brought my from Egypt last Christmas. I certainly owed it to the universe to at least sample the treat brought to me from so far away. It sailed across my tongue and warmed me without putting me to sleep. The best way I can explain it is like fruit punch without the sugar.
Over the weekend, I sampled a Chai Green tea and a Vanilla Chai, which I made into a latté, (because I have milk again). I suppose like wine, teas come in enough varieties that make them fun to sample, able to be tied to specific memories, and fit just nicely into perfect moments when you know what to expect and it’s cooled enough to sip.
At work, tea is my time-marker at 10 that separates early morning from late morning, which brings me closer to lunch and end of day. It makes me feel so much more peaceful to sip tea after harrowedly going through emails, answering to urgent requests and waiting for my hair to dry after being dampened on the walk in.
I highly recommend improving your own rainy mornings, afternoon lounges and friendly gatherings with a cup of whatever is your favourite.