Tea Break

On of the best gifts of working from home (for me) is being able to replenish my one cup tea-pot many times a day. Generally, the day starts with a strong breakfast tea like a Nilgiri. Mid-day, I might switch to a Darjeeling. Late afternoon and evening to Oolong and Green teas maybe. Based on the criteria for this research, I would be a habitual tea-drinker. It takes under ten minutes to start from boiling water to tea in my cup but it provides a great reset each time I start the new pot of tea. Often, I feel grateful that it is possible to fit such a rhythm into may day - that was not always the case. The tea-break serves as a reminder of the years lived, the milestones crossed and hard-won solace.

I have started to appreciate my older relatives needing to have a place to sit undisturbed and enjoy their cup of tea. In childhood, I remember my mother asking everyone around if they needed anything from her for the next half hour before she made herself tea. We learned not to bother her during that time of peace and quiet. Often she read something as she enjoyed her tea and solitude - in a shaded area of the verandah. In later life I realized she needed escape from the facts of he life that were insuperable. When we had relatives visiting, tea was served to call everyone together and take pause from whatever they were doing. There is a certain feeling of abundance in being able to take such pauses as life happens in its daily frenetic pace. It maybe why there are so many benefits to taking a tea-break.