If Teacups Could Talk

Before dogs and children, these teacups and this book were my favorite decorations to display.

My grandparents bought me this beautiful tea set in Romania back when I was a teenager. After spending a semester in Argentina and falling in love with the whole "mate" (/mah/-/tay/) tradition (sitting with friends and drinking a tea-like drink together every time you got together), I wanted to bring a similar tradition into my home. Tea time. A cherished, intentional time to share with friends.

Then came David, later two indoor dogs, then Juan, then life. Those beautiful tea cups and the book displayed with them, If Teacups Could Talk, got pushed back into a corner and now have a layer of dust on top of them. I haven't gotten them out in years.

Now, I meet up with friends at local coffee shops to share that cherished, intentional time. I hate crowds, I hate noise, and I hate gathering with large groups. But I absolutely love just sitting over a cup of coffee or tea with a friend, or my son, or my husband, or my mom. For the person who won't pick up a phone for the life of her, I can sit and talk for hours over a single cup of coffee at a coffee shop. It really is one of the best ways to get to know me when I have nothing else in front of me or occupying me. No dogs to let out. No animals to pet. No kids to get after. No house to pick up. No dishes to wash. I can make eye contact with whoever I'm with, observe their facial expressions and body language, and enjoy everything about a conversation that I can't do over a phone.

We haven't done much this summer as far as activities or travels. David and Mike have been working,  David and Juan served at camp, David has been fully involved in tons of church activities, and Juan and I have been taking advantage of free movies and other inexpensive outtings while we're off for the summer. But I have been able to get together with friends and family quite often for coffee or tea, and I'm so thankful for that time. It truly is one of my favorite things to do.

David and I have our favorite local coffee shop downtown where we'll sit and play Skipbo or Phase 10 while sipping our drinks. My mom and I like to frequent a specific Starbucks that has a large outdoor seating area where we can just sit with a cup of chai and talk in a way we probably wouldn't if we were at either one of our houses. Mike and I will grab a cup of coffee at a Starbucks right around the corner from where we attend ReEngage and then take it to the church to sit in the lobby together before going in. When we need some family time, we'll all four go to the coffee shop downtown and play games. Sure, a single drink can get expensive, but we can each get one expensive drink and enjoy each other's company for several hours and still come out cheaper than going to a movie as a family. My two sweet Bible study friends will meet me on a moment's notice and spend hours just catching up with each other. And my sweet teammate and I realized we both had a connection to a little tea room in Rockwall that my Colombian friends own, so we've been meeting there every week, getting to know each other in a way that we never have the time to do during the school year.

In fact, as I looked around that little tea room the other week and saw some of the books displayed on the shelves beside some tea cups, that old book on my shelf came to mind. As soon as I got home, I pulled it down, cleaned it up, and knew I found a new home for it--right in that little tea room. Oh, if teacups could talk--they'd have so many stories of relationships that grew over them.

My dream of decorating in teacups and displaying my tea set proudly will have to wait until another season of my life, perhaps when the dogs and kids are all grown and gone. For now, I'll enjoy and frequent my favorite local coffee shops and that cute little tea room (which now also sells coffee and makes a good Colombian breakfast plate!).