“Mother-Daughter Teatime” is a concept that conjures up images of formality and tradition. Our mind immediately jumps to images of fine china and linens, tiny sandwiches, dainty pastries, impeccable manners (elbows off the table) and conversation sprinkled with light gossip and motherly advice. We do have the English to credit with many of these images. Having first established “teatime” as an extended afternoon refreshment in the 1700s, it was the 19th century nobility who elevated this snack into a glorified social event, complete with silver, finger sandwiches (thank you, Earl of Sandwich), tea cakes and scones.
The memory which for me is the most enduring, from the hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of teatimes with my daughters, is the feeling of being in a most special, safe place with open and vital dialogue. We made teatime a daily after-school tradition, whenever possible. While the tea steeped, we would set out a hearty snack - some jam and bread, usually, and maybe some cheese. We did enjoy the ceremony of drinking from my mom’s and grandmother’s porcelain cups. The tea selection was a collective decision, as was the choice of teapot.
Most importantly, these moments often brought us into wonderful conversations. We each took turns in describing our highlights and challenges of the day. What I noticed was that since our tea times were right after the school day, all the joys and pains were still fresh, and I got a better insight into their days than if the discussions had taken place later in the evening.
When I would travel with my mom, or with my daughters, we loved to seek out an old favorite or new place to sit down and enjoy our teatime in the afternoons. We once visited London for only a couple of days, but we made time to enjoy a proper English tea with scones in Kensington Gardens. Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of enjoying “picnic” types of tea (thanks to our Steepware® tumblers and little ceramic gongfu cups) on many mountaintops in Colorado, on the banks of the Hudson River, along the Seine in Paris, and next to my beloved Poncha Creek in Salida, Colorado.
The aroma of fine, freshly brewed tea can bring me right back to these magical memories of tea being poured into our cups. Every time I steep up some Keemun, which was my Mom’s favorite tea, it feels like a warm steep to my soul. Tea has the power of simultaneously evoking and creating lasting, beautiful memories. We remember the gorgeous tea we are drinking, we remember the atmosphere we were in, but most importantly, we remember the company with whom we sipped the delicious brew. At The Tea Spot, we promote daily tea for self-care, and we firmly believe in its benefits. This Mother's Day, we hope our delicious teas can help you re-live some of your favorite tea memories over the years with your beloved loved ones, and create new memories too.