Taking comfort in a cup of tea
My affinity for a cup of tea began when I was a child.
I have warm memories of spending overnights at my grandparents’ house. As we prepared to watch TV after dinner, undoubtedly waiting anxiously for “Full House,” “The Facts of Life” or “The Golden Girls” to begin, I knew we’d also enjoy a few cookies and a cup of hot tea.
My aunt would often join us in the living room, and there we’d sit, sip tea and laugh at the high jinks of Danny Tanner and his family or the wacky exploits of Rose, Sophia, Blanche and Dorothy.
I don’t remember many of the plots of those shows, but I recall our shared laughter, the smiles, the dog blissfully sleeping nearby in his bed and feeling content being in a loving place.
And I remember the tea.
Maybe that’s why tea – not coffee — has always been my preferred drink. My parents drank coffee each morning (the pot brewing before sunrise), but when I was young my morning drink was hot tea with sugar and milk. Still is.
Much like my grandparents, my mother made the perfect cup, with just the right amount of sugar and milk. It was warm and tasty and comforting.
To this day my mornings include a cup (or two) of tea – I enjoy Twinings Irish Breakfast black tea — and in the evening I’ll often pour a cup after dinner. And, yes, there may also be a cookie or two.
When reading on the couch or sitting at my desk, a cup of tea is often an arm’s length away.
There was a time in college and a few years after when I strayed and gravitated to Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. It was convenient (drive-through), relatively inexpensive, and I could drink it during class.
But it always felt workmanlike. The cup of coffee became something to consume to get through the day instead of a beverage to enjoy and savor. Eventually I returned to the satisfaction of drinking tea.
There are studies about tea’s health benefits: how it may reduce the risk of death by heart disease and might help lower blood pressure.
But for me there are benefits that can’t be defined.
Filling a pot with water, igniting the stove’s burner, selecting the packet of tea and adding scoops of sugar to a mug are all routine acts, but they are linked to a history filled with fun evenings with family, groggy winter mornings and sunny springtime moments of relaxation.
Moments embraced in the comforts of a cup of tea.
