Sandwiched
I’ve said for years that I’m a tea lover in a coffee drinker’s world. Imagine my delight last Christmas when my son’s girlfriend Maddie gave me a present of a variety of tea bags. I’ll be enjoying them for weeks to come.
As we celebrated the holiday with her, I remembered exactly why I’m such a fan of the beverage.
“Do you know why I love tea so much?” I asked. I think my family and Maddie expected some heart-warming story, maybe about a unique discovery as a teenager or someone showing me how amazing tea can be for the body, mind, and soul.
“Because my mom would never let me have it growing up.”
Isn’t that a typical scenario? Mom, like so many other mothers, wanted me to drink my milk as a child. I was happy to do so, but I wanted to see what that other beverage tasted like. Mom always drank iced tea, 365 days a year, no matter the weather.
And it wasn’t even the good stuff. She drank instant tea (YUCK!) made by good old Lipton. I still remember her faithfully dipping the long teaspoon into the jar of brown crystals.
One day while gathering up the dishes, I noticed Mom had left just a bit of her iced tea in her glass. After some furtive glances to make certain she wasn’t around, I took a sip – and instantly fell in love, even though it wasn’t truly tea. I didn’t know any better back then.
As I grew older, it was such a secret thrill to make myself a glass of tea when Mom was out of the house. I felt like a rebel one morning after a tennis lesson at our nearby park as I gulped down some iced tea while Mom was out grocery shopping. I know, I was a wild one.
Naturally, when I went off to college Mom stopped forbidding me to drink the stuff. Her tastes changed as well and she moved on to Crystal Light Raspberry Tea. Still not real tea in my opinion, but I drank it once in a while.
I’ll never forget discovering GOOD tea when I went to IU. It was like going from tap water to Perrier. Suddenly I couldn’t drink enough of it.
Over the years I’ve enjoyed exploring a variety of teas and learning all about the beverage. It’s one of my greatest pleasures in life, much like most of you out there with coffee. I’d rather have a cup or glass of tea vs. any alcoholic beverage.
Like most folks, I have so much to thank my mother for. She’s still a Crystal Light woman, although my husband did have her drinking some good, slightly sweetened stuff on Christmas (we may convert her yet). Thanks, Mom, for helping me discover one of my passions in life!