My Tea Ritual

My Tea Ritual, I Enjoy Moments with My New Friend. The taste of the tea is different, delicate, makes me think of those who sipped tea

Cup of tea on white saucer with green tea leaves on the side
Cup of Tea

thousands of years before me. It makes me feel very relaxed, very in tune with this time and this place.

My introduction to tea came a couple years ago. I always used tea bags for the convenience. My cup is a large coffee cup. The finger hold is large enough for all my fingers. I like that kind of cup. I don’t care for the dainty one finger hold or the kind that almost but not quite allows all of your fingers through the loop of the finger hold. I guess I want a hand hold cup and not a finger hold cup.

This reminds me of receiving gifts, the times I received a coffee cup as a present. The look in the gift givers eyes at the time of presentation. There is an instant of uncertainty. You can see it in their eyes. They are not sure you will like what they got you. Then when you open the wrapping they take in every bit of your reaction. I think it is best at that instant not to think about the gift at all. At that moment I like to think of their excitement. My heart swells at that moment as it takes in their love and their anticipation. I get a little emotional now remembering those times. That instant is a powerful exchange of love. Not about the gift at all. It’s all about the emotions, and love exchanged in an instant of time. Good stuff! Heheh …… sip my tea, dry my eyes.

Back to my Tea Ritual.

Previously I just used my large coffee cup, heated water in the microwave for 3 minutes, dunked the tea bag of choice into the hot water and a few minutes later enjoyed my tea. I still do that during the day at work when I don’t have much time.

But boys and girls, now I have moved to a new level of conscientiousness. I have been reading about tea, learning about Green tea, White Tea, and Oolong. It is very interesting stuff. I decided to purchase some leaf tea. I purchased two kinds of Green Tea and I also purchased a new white porcelain cup with stainless steel infuser. I must say that this lifted me to enjoy more of what tea has to offer.

Now I heat my cup by running the hot water until it runs hot. Fill the cup and let it set to warm. Then I put fresh bottled water into my electric pot. While the water is heating I measure out the tea leaves. There is a faint sweet aroma from the leaves. Put the measured tea spoon of leaves into the infuser then wait. Just 3 minutes maybe four and the heating water just starts to roll. Feel the waiting cup; it is warm to the touch. Pour the water out of the waiting cup. In goes the infuser with tea leaves, pour the boiled water over the tea leaves to fill about half way. Wait five minutes. I lie down, or read during that time. Then when the time is right I remove the infuser, drain a little more of the water and set the infuser with soaked leaves into its own stainless saucer. Very neat, no mess at all except when I spill my tea leaves.

The hot tea is too hot to drink. I carry the cup of tea to my work place, an old table top. I set the cup down and start to work. After a few minutes I reach for the cup and then stop for a moment. Sip the tea and so many thoughts run through my mind. I focus in on one and for those few moments I am transported way from where I am. My vicarious journeys take me home to visit loved ones, take me other places to solve problems, and just take me “away” from where I am and away from my thoughts of the moment.

I savoir these moments with my new friend.

This note added in 2015. I wrote the above in 2005 – 2009 while I was working in Iraq hence the mentions of vicarious journeys to take me away. I was in a war zone in the Baghdad airport area of Iraq so just about any other place was better.

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