This week I am finishing up a two week trip to the UK with my 11 year old son. We’ve had a fantastic time and I am especially grateful to share this intimate time of talking and walking and answering a million of his questions before he gets too old to want to ask them of me.
One thing we’ve really embraced whilst here (yes, did you see what I did there?) has been afternoon tea. Of course we want to take tea while we are in touristy spots and that long lag between lunch and dinner and all that walking has us famished. But it isn’t just about being hungry. It’s about regrouping. It’s about taking stock of the day past and looking forward to the evening that lies ahead. Afternoon tea is about rest and conversation and taking a breath. It’s about a slowing down for a moment.
When we take tea, we wait for our tea to seep. Each of us know exactly how much sugar and milk the other takes. Then we wait again while it cools to the perfect temperature. Some days there is a biscuit or a scone or if we are really lucky a bit of cake. Some days we sit in silence. Some days we are a flurry of discussion.
There is a sense of ritual in tea. We discovered there is an order we prefer in preparing our tea ( sugar, then tea, then milk) and scones (jam then clotted cream) Sometimes I have noticed even a reverence. This Catholic girl is not saying it is a religious moment but it is an outward expression of something that is happening internally.
Both my son and I want to bring this home with us. I’m not certain how afternoon tea will fit in our daily life. We certainly will not be able to take nearly an hour for tea on any given day. But we could take 15 minutes to slow down and check in. To hydrate and nourish ourselves and each other.
lovely...how blessed you are to have this time together.
Yes please.