A cup of tea they say, makes everything better. Here is something I realized recently--and like every good facet of life--it was interlaced with tea.
In the pre-Covid-19 times, I would wait for my husband to come back home from work so that we could have a cup of tea together. Since both of us had hectic work schedules, we would look forward to unwinding with a strong cup of tea. Tea offered both possibilities; either we could lose the tedious part of our day in its warmth or we would find the important aspects of our life as it mellowed our hearts and minds.
Needless to say, the cup of tea and the togetherness it offered was precious to us. However, it also posed a problem-- since on most days I was home earlier than my husband, I would get impatient if he was delayed. I would call him often, wondering why he was late. Like most ritualistic notions, time was of essence as the routine of drinking tea would lose its significance if we could not have it on time. Most days there would be no issues, but there was also a significant number of days where this precious moment was lost to the demands of time and our hectic lives.
Now that coronavirus has impinged upon our lives, along with all the discontent, we must also be mindful of all the subtle and not so subtle lessons it is imparting to us. What
I almost failed to notice was the fact that now, my husband and I are both able to have our tea on time and contemplate on the mysteries of life without having to worry about delay or the subsequent resentment. It is only when the earth’s vibrations reduced a little, when time offered us a moment to step back, when we unheeded the race and instead thought about where we were going, we found gems in the lees of our cup. Time had bequeathed us with these gift of togetherness, peace and love; yet we fail to notice that some of our wishes have been granted.
Gratitude for both big and small things can turn what we have into enough--especially a cup of tea.