Twas the night before Sunday and in my bedroom, My blankets were warm and snug as a womb... ok I don't think I can keep that up for 54 more lines. It as worth a shot. But it is Saturday night and pretty soon I will cuddle up in my blankets, and settle down for a long nighttime nap.
Right now I'm enjoying a nice cup of Earl Grey TAZO tea with hazelnut cream in one of my favorite mugs. With the winter weather finally blowing in, I've been drinking a lot of tea lately, and having the ever busy mind that I have, I've been thinking about tea almost as much as I've been drinking it. Tea is such a fascinating substance. It's so simple. It's the product of dried leaves and boiling water, and yet it has played such a significant role in countries all across the world. In Japan there is an entire ceremony dedicated to tea. In England, everybody whose anybody partakes in morning tea. Tea was one of the key components in the Revolutionary War here in the United States. In Arab culture, tea is the center of social gatherings and in Persian culture tea is a sign of hospitality. And when little a girl has her dolls and stuffed animals gathered around a table set with cups and saucers, she won't tell you she's having a coffee party or a cocoa party. No, almost always she will tell you that she and her toys are having a tea party, and if you want to attend you must dress appropriately.
Why has something as mundane as tea had such an influence on people all over the world, throughout history? When you really look at tea, that question is not at all difficult to answer. When you enjoy a cup of tea you are taking part in a tradition that spans hundreds maybe even thousands of years and almost every continent on the planet. Tea also has an almost magical power to serve every purpose. There are teas to wake you up, there are teas to help you sleep. When you're sad, tea brings you comfort. When you're full of emotion, tea calms you down. In the winter, tea keeps you warm, in the summer tea is iced and makes the perfect cool down drink. There are teas for every taste bud, there are sweet teas and bitter teas, fruit teas and spiced teas. Tea is the perfect drink to enjoy alone and also the prefect drink to share with friends. And tea benefits our health in numerous ways. It helps to prevent cancer, diabetes and heart disease. It boosts the immune system and promotes digestive health. All around, tea is pretty amazing. In my opinion tea beats alcohol, hands down. Why do healthy people drink alcohol? To feel good and have a good time. The way I see it, Tea can make you feel very good, warm and comfortable. And you can have a great time with your friends when you have them over for some tea. Plus with tea you will remember the good time that you had, You're less likely to make a fool of yourself and you can drink cup upon cup of tea and you won't have to deal with the not so pleasant aftermath the next morning. Tea is the perfect example of the many ways in which the mundane world can really be extraordinary. A simple mixture of dried leaves and water, influencing history, building relationships and protecting our health.
Let us raise our china cups and ceramic mugs to Tea. The choice beverage of the mundane.
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