Tea Bag Time
My Canadian grandmother's china, handed down to me.
Why does tea taste so much better steeped for five to six minutes instead of nuked in the microwave? My mother informs me it’s because steeping is the proper way to prepare tea. She’s from Canada. She would know.Tea time is a regular meal up there.
Tea is more flavorful when allowed to seep out of the bag. Boiling water, gradually brought up to heat over the stove, instead of rushed in the microwave, brings out more mellow flavors from the tea bag.
A spiritual analogy is brewing in there somewhere.
Life has more flavorful depth when I savor certain moments. For example, spending time with my husband. We love to go to Starbucks or to a restaurant to just talk. We get away from the house, Larry’s office during the day, and focus on each other. This reduces the distractions and narrows the topic of focus to what the other person is saying. We taste more of the individual flavors of our relationship when we slow down to allow conversations to steep.
Talks with friends are sweeter over a cup of tea. Texting or e-mailing nukes the conversation instead of soaking in the relationship’s robust flavors.
Ah, I hear the tea-pot whistling. Time to pour the boiling water over the chai tea bag, releasing its spicy spikes that will tickle my tongue in about six minutes. The warm flavors are worth the wait.
Are your conversations with spouse or friends steeped or nuked?
“Texting or e-mailing nukes the conversation instead of soaking in the relationship’s robust flavors” Oh my, how true!! Great analogy. I keep thinking that I need to slow down myself and enjoy the moments (the steeping). My son will be telling me a story about his day and I find that I have to forcibly shut out the to-do list that’s writing itself in the back of my mind. Isn’t that sad? We always hear that awareness of an issue is the first step in being able to resolve it, is it not?
Forgot to tell you….that I’m sweetly envious (as opposed to maliciously jealous) of the insight into you and Larry’s world and that you respect his need to get out of his office from time to time! That’s awesome
What a great marriage you have, my friend.
Thank you my friend.
I love this post. Makes me want to soak in God’s word with a hot tea in my hand.
Larry…enjoying our tea together.
I was still thinking of this last night….and I thought too that even our time spent in the Word can be compared to steeping tea….do you soak in His presence or do you hurry up and nuke it to say you did it? “I read the Bible today….” yeah, but did you absorb it? Did you reflect on it? Or did you rush on to the next thing on your to do list? food for thought…
EXACTLY!
I know a couple of friendships that are worth the steeping.
We love you and Larry…
Eva
Love you and Dennis, too, Eva.
Definitely guilty of nuking/texting/hurrying friendships. I surely want to make the sacrifice of time to steep and truly develop my relationships–I know the “return” will be immeasurable. Thank you for the wonderful reminder!
So when will we steep next over lunch or Starbucks?