I got into tea—not just the cup but the ritual—when Maggy spent her junior year in England. I had traveled in the UK before and always enjoyed teatime, but much like the toast rack I bought at Portobello Market, it never made its way into my everyday life.
But experiencing daily tea with Maggy that week made me realize it was more than just a fun, vacationy thing to do. Teatime actually serves a practical daily function: formalizing a few peaceful moments that, in turn, energize for the day’s final push.
After that trip I started to incorporate this late-afternoon ritual into my life. I found that taking time to sit with a cup of tea soothed me—just a few minutes was like a mini-retreat. I got up refreshed, ready to finish the day’s work with gusto.
Since then I’ve enjoyed daily tea and a sweet, which keeps me content and prevents me from overindulging. Allowing myself a couple of late-afternoon cookies means I’m less tempted to devour the whole jar. It also tames my hunger so that when I walk into the kitchen to make dinner I don’t feel a need to raid the pantry or scarf half the dinner prep. Who would ever have thought eating a cookie could be so good for you!
I’ll admit, however that I’m less good than I used to be at taking time to sit with my cup of tea and cookie. I’m more likely to do it on the fly—and I can tell. Without the break, I’m a little more lethargic, a little less joyful at day’s end. The furrow in my brow is a little more pronounced.
Not long ago, I stopped at a pastry shop to have tea. The little verse on their napkin reminded that I needed to reclaim teatime’s full benefits. “A little pleasure for the taste, a little pause for the soul.”
You’re right mom, the world would probably be a better place if everyone took a few minutes out in the afternoon to put their feet up and enjoy a cup of tea with a little sweet treat. Most people will probably say they don’t have time – I might even be one of those people – but I am also someone who knows, “you make time for what’s important.”
With a Brit husband, Andy and I have tea throughout the day. It’s a different type of ritual and serves a different purpose, but we’ve just lost the sitting down and being quiet part (which is probably the most crucial element). I’m usually tapping away on the computer, standing at the kitchen counter prepping dinner or racing out the door with tea in a to-go mug.
You have definitely made a more conscious effort to stop what you’re doing and sit down during tea time, forcing us all to do the same. We should be kinder to ourselves. Pause is important in life. It’s often those moments where I find my greatest inspiration–that’s worth sitting down for.
And who can say no to a cookie? Or one of these Apricot-Cherry Bars? Pas moi.
Cookies helped my Mom get thin.
I know, it’s crazy…right?
I’ve heard Mom share this little piece of wisdom she’s acquired with many people over the years—to mixed response. Some people say, “Oh I work at an office, I can’t do teatime.” Other people say, “I absolutely LOVE that idea, but I don’t think I could stop myself after one or two cookies.” She also gets, “I don’t like tea, and I am not a big sweets person” and finally, “I am trying to lose weight, there is no way I am eating cookies everyday!”
I haven’t adopted the teatime ritual with as much gusto and my mom, dad, and sister. I don’t really like tea all that much—sometimes it’s delicious, but on a less-than-full stomach it makes me feel a bit nauseated. (And last week’s post revealed what a coffee-lover I am.) I’ve also found that, although I am no great lover of sweets, the more often I eat them, the more often I want them.
So, for me, teatime is not my daily ritual. The wider point here is not that everyone should adopt teatime, but just that we should all take some time during the day to have a little peace and quiet—away from the noise of life—and just enjoy a few moments to ourselves.
I love ritual, but I don’t love schedules. So, I try to take time to do something—though not necessarily the same thing—everyday, just for me. That might be a few moments spent alone in our campus chapel, a gin and tonic on the back porch with my roommate, an afternoon stroll with Tony, a long bath, or an indulgent mid-afternoon movie.
Of course, life happens, and rituals must be flexible. So, I shoot for most days. So far, so good.
What a great idea! Every day, when our kids get home from school, they have a snack to tide them through until dinner. Why can’t we give ourselves a little treat as well?
Of course, for us the pause to relax may be more important than the treat.
oh, pam, remember all those long ago cups of tea? i still try to take time out, even if it’s in a mug rather than one of my beautiful, old, fragile china cups. i more often drink herbal tea now and usually have a few nuts or nibbles, instead of a cocktail or wine. then i get to have a glass of the latter with my dinner and the edge is a little off my appetite. and my 32 year old son keeps a teapot at work and has converted others in his office to share a cup. i just gave him his great grandmother’s sterling teaball, my way of passing along tradition!
I love the idea of teatime, but the consistency of it is what I struggle with. Somehow it sets the tone for the rest of the day when there is a pause where I can lightly indulge, clear my mind and rest my body. Thanks for the reminder, Pam.
Sometimes it’s not what I eat or drink but how I do it that counts. You’re right–it’s a soothing experience–to sip a little tea mid-afternoon or anytime I’m feeling stressed.