This weekend, I had the pleasure of reuniting with 5 friends whom I met through a student exchange program to Pau, France in 1996. 15 years have passed since we first met, and it was so fun to reconnect, catch up and reminisce together. So much has changed for each individual, and yet everyone is exactly the same!
It made me take to heart the value of friends, and how difficult it seems to be to create and build new friendships the older I get. When new friends do make an appearance, it is a blessing. Over the past couple of years, a new friendship has begun through a common interest: tea. This friend has walked with me on my tea journey, sharing experiences and thoughts from her home far away in Germany. It has been so fun to learn her tea tastes and realize our tastes are actually very similar.
This realization was brought home when she sent me a care package with several of her favorite teas. As I was reflecting on friendships, old and new, this morning, I turned to that care package as a tribute to them all. I chose one of her personal favorites, Wilhelmshaveuer Kaiser Blend, brewed it in my Rooster Mug (sometimes a tea cup is just not big enough!) and brought that with me to my home office to begin my day.
I don't usually sweeten my morning cup of tea, but I followed her recommendation of drinking it with the rock sugar she provided. Bold and strong, this blend is just what I needed to start my Monday, and the sweetness took the edge off of my start-of-day drudgery. She should not be surprised if I beg her for a source where I can order more! (Don't worry - I'll share the secret.)
A wise priest once told me, "When God wants you to learn about love, he brings someone to love you." I'm grateful that God continues to teach me about love and friendship and comaraderie, because these teachers are brought into my life in the most unexpected and fun ways.
Grab a friend. Grab a cup of tea. Laugh together. Remember how you first crossed paths, and marvel at the perfection of that moment.
It made me take to heart the value of friends, and how difficult it seems to be to create and build new friendships the older I get. When new friends do make an appearance, it is a blessing. Over the past couple of years, a new friendship has begun through a common interest: tea. This friend has walked with me on my tea journey, sharing experiences and thoughts from her home far away in Germany. It has been so fun to learn her tea tastes and realize our tastes are actually very similar.
This realization was brought home when she sent me a care package with several of her favorite teas. As I was reflecting on friendships, old and new, this morning, I turned to that care package as a tribute to them all. I chose one of her personal favorites, Wilhelmshaveuer Kaiser Blend, brewed it in my Rooster Mug (sometimes a tea cup is just not big enough!) and brought that with me to my home office to begin my day.
A wise priest once told me, "When God wants you to learn about love, he brings someone to love you." I'm grateful that God continues to teach me about love and friendship and comaraderie, because these teachers are brought into my life in the most unexpected and fun ways.
Grab a friend. Grab a cup of tea. Laugh together. Remember how you first crossed paths, and marvel at the perfection of that moment.
What a sweet and true post! I'm glad you got to see your old friends! It reminds me of our days when our get together centered around 7-11 Slurpees. Thank God our tastes have matured...althought I'm sure slurpees still taste good on a hot day cruising around in an unairconditioned car!
ReplyDeleteAh, the good ol' days! I will admit, I'm still partial to a Coke-flavored slurpee. Hopefully the day is not too far away when I can make my way up north, and we can display our matured tastes over some chilled white. Though, probably not in a car of any kind. A bistro table, perhaps...
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