One Small, Simple Joy That Consistently Brightens My Day.

Life has it's ups and downs, some things bring us happiness and some bring us sadness. There are many moments of joy in my life, but if I were to single out just one small, simple joy that consistently brightens my day that would be drinking tea with my wife.

The first time we met was during the photoshoot I did for her as my photography client on June 17, 2017. We were having a great shoot as she came exceptionally prepared and had every single outfit planned out ahead of time which was a rarity among my clients. We were making a great time going through the shoot and since we had plenty of time left I offered her to have some tea with me in my kitchen. She agreed and it was our first time drinking tea together.

There would be many more tea-drinking occasions in the years to come. We drink tea every day and usually several times a day together. This simple act of sharing tea time and conversation brings me happiness.

Our tea drinking together has evolved over the years, we used to have a tea making machine in our bedroom and drink tea at night together in bed, that has gone away just like the little glass table that we used for the instant hot water machine. That table now sits in front of me in my office as I type this...

Things change with time, just like relationships change. We changed from the client / photography provider relationship to boyfriend / girlfriend relationship to husband and wife relationship. But our tea-drinking ritual has remained over the years and serves as a point of connection for us. It brings stability and consistency into the turbulent sea of life that is ever-changing.

This tea-cup above was a present from my wife. I used it so much that eventually this phone-controlled temperature keeping cup broke. We used to shop for David's Tea in our local mall store, then David's Tea closed all retail locations in Washington State, we ordered it online for years afterwards. Now I don't recall the last time we did... Things change: what kind of tea we drink, from what cups, at what locations, but we still drink tea together. It is not about what tea, or where we drink it, it is about drinking it together and connecting as two humans going through life in the same boat.

One more thing to note about the Ember cup picture above: even the house that this picture was taken in is gone now. Sold this June, that was the kitchen where we drank our first tea together during our first meeting. But we are in love and drinking tea together despite all the life's challenges and storms it throws our way.

My wife sometimes makes us loose black tea with various additives - her special recopies: with cardamom or with various fruit additives, combinations of loose teas etc. I love it and I feel loved when we drink those together.

It is not even about the tea itself, though they are always exceptional, it is about the act of making something special for us to share together.

So drinking tea together is our ritual that consistently brightens my day!


All images in this post were taken on my Samsung S20 FE phone. I hardly ever use my Canon 5D Mark Three anymore, it is just way more convenient to pull out my old phone and snap a quick picture.


I am also a Hive Witness and would really appreciate your vote for me as a witness: https://vote.hive.uno/@seattlea



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21 comments
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I wish I drank more tea. I just don't think to do it. I used to hate it when I was a kid, but now I really enjoy it. My daily indulgence is my Greek yogurt and granola that I have most every morning through the week.

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If you have someone to share your tea with it makes it more special. When my wife goes on business trips I almost never drink any tea, maybe once every three days at most.

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My wife likes tea, but not quite as much as I do. I'd like to branch out into some of the less mainstream flavors one day. Right now black tea is probably my favorite.

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You could try a variety of black tea leaves with fruit and/or other spices from a good online seller like David's Tea.

Have you tried Cardamom and black tea leaf combinations that are made in Afgan, Indian or Persian restaurants? I like those without milk and something like this: Saffron and cardamom black tea · https://share.google/pcdnNQrppJWLmFJuQ

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I am not sure if I have. I know I have had cardamom in other teas. We have a tea house in the town near where I live and I want to try and visit there one day to check it out.

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Apart from Scottish Blend tea, my favourite fruit blend is raspberry and Echinacea

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I used to do one that had echinacea and eucalyptus.

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Simple pleasures my friend, that's what makes life and Love so very special!!😀

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Ah, sharing a good cup of tea with someone special, is a real joy! Especially nice when that special someone makes it, just the way you like it!
I must have been living under a rock, first time I hear about the phone-controlled temperature keeping cup!
How tea cups have changed over the years! My late hubby was very particular, always used a cup and saucer for tea, and mugs for coffee😉
Lovely response @seattlea, your photos are gorgeous!

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It is special to share a cup of tea with someone you love. I am not really that particular about what I drink it from, as long as the tea is good and the company is great.

And here are the cups and mugs that give you precise control over the temperature that you can set from your phone: https://ember.com

@topcomment

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Thank you for the link; it's a great invention. I often find that my tea or coffee gets cold during the day. Not that first cup of coffee in the morning though😉

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The ritual has remained steady. It’s not just about tea anymore, it’s a symbol of your journey, your resilience, and your deep affection for each other.💕

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Tea is great, but I must admit that I drink coffee more than tea. Mrs T is American and actually drinks tea every day, way more than me. She has all the fancy teapots and thermometers for making sure the correct water temperature for the type of tea etc!
Me being Scottish is happy with a teabag of Scottish Blend tea!
Great Chronicle and thanks for participating :)

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