Tea really isn't a necessary part of life, but isn't it a beautiful part of life? The very spirit of tea, whether you drink it in a pretty cup by yourself or with a friend, is the spirit of beauty. Tea can bring grace to your every day, or stir a memory of a time or person you love. I hope you will pour yourself a cup of your favorite tea {mine is Earl Grey} and read along as I share The Gift of Tea in a Basket.
It's always such a delight and honor to join my Monday Morning Blooms friends Pam and Mary for their Tea on Tuesdays! I'll share their links at the bottom of this post so that you can join each one of us for tea.
The Gift of Tea in a Basket.
I've had the pleasure of lots and lots of tea parties. From a daily 'party' as a little girl with my European grandmama when my Mom and I lived with my grandparents in their stately European home, to little tiny cups of tea in child-sized porcelain cups with my girls and little people {mostly honey very little tea} - to big tea parties in the garden for 40 ladies from church we hosted every month for two years. Each one is special to me, and each one fills my heart with sweet memories.
Today, I'm sharing a small tea party with you, one that you can gift to someone. It's a tea party that you can pack up and take to a friend who is in need of a touch of beauty, a spot of tea, but mostly love and friendship. All of us have friends who have varying ailments, from the friend who has battled with the world's longest cold, to the friend who is recuperating from surgery, to a friend who is fighting breast cancer. Or maybe just a friend who is having a hard time, and can use some encouragement. Sharing the beauty of tea and your love for your friend, and taking her the gift of tea in a basket, is a joy. I have had the opportunity of doing this several times, and I can promise you, while your friend will feel loved and spoiled, it will be YOU who receives the biggest blessing!
If your friend is in bed, you can take your basket right into her bedroom and set everything up on a tray.
Somehow, taking tea together, encourages an atmosphere of intimacy, when you slip off the timepiece in your mind and cast your fate to a delight of tasty tea, tiny foods, and thoughtful conversation.
-Gail Greco
You can pack everything in a basket. You will want to include two of your prettiest tea cups {possibly leaving hers behind as a gift}, a small tea cloth or runner and napkins, perhaps a candle {and candle holder if you bring tapers, and matches} some flowers in a vase or other container, and all the other tea things.
Once you get to your friend's home, you can boil water in her tea kettle, and spread out the cloth, and get your special tea to go ready for the two of you.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:2,
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God;
but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
1 John 4:11-12
What you will serve depends on the friend and what she can have. I think that even if you have a friend who is undergoing chemo and may not wish to eat, she will enjoy a cup of tea with you. She will relish in the fact that you went to the trouble to visit her, and prepared a lovely cup of tea, then spent time listening to her, and sharing your love for her.
When my friend did her chemo, she had a time when she really only wanted to eat very simple cookies and fruit, and that was perfect with tea!
Having tea feels comforting and inviting. Taking a cup of tea together allows for quiet time to listen, to be attentive to present moment. And to really talk to one another.
I
What to Pack for The Gift of Tea in a Basket
*A large basket with a handle *A pretty tea cloth and two napkins *A 4 cup tea pot *A thermos filled with hot tea {if you can't boil water there} * Tea, milk & sugar *2 tea cups and saucers *2 tea spoons *2 small plates *2 small forks *Tea foods and fruit *Flowers in vase *Tray
Quite a few years ago I was asked to speak about women's friendships for a gathering of women. It's totally out of my comfort zone to speak publicly, so I did a lot of research at the time, because I wanted to sound smart and be prepared. {!!} One of the things I learned {and really wasn't surprised at} was that women respond to stress differently than men. We deal with stress by surrounding ourselves with friends. Friendships between women are special. They shape who we are, and who we are yet to be. More importantly, friends help us live longer, and make us healthier!
I hope this encourages you to incorporate the gift of tea in a basket into your own life. There are so many opportunities to bring someone a tea party for two! I've seen friendships made or renewed, friends in need greatly encouraged, and many other beautiful magical things when you take the time to sit together with someone else over a cup of tea!
and me, LIDY at FrenchGardenHouse
A BIENTOT
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16 comments
Barbara, lilacs are so gorgeous, aren’t they? We can’t really grow them where I live here, so when they arrive at the flower market I can’t resist! They are so special, with each miniature little lavender purple flower perfection, and all hundred or so of them on a branch making up the “flowers” – magical! Thank you so much for joining us for a cup of tea today! Xo Lidy
Dear Lidy,
Oh, how I long to put my face into that bunch of lilacs and take a deep breath! They do not grow in zone 9 where we live so every year at this time I yearn for them. Sharing tea with a friend in need is one of the most rewarding gestures and so appreciated. Your post resonated with me because I see taking tea as an almost sacred ritual.
Good morning Lidy. This beautiful post is a delight for the eyes and really touched my heart. I loved the scripture “carry each others burdens”. Friendship is such a special gift and I can see why you were ask to speak on this subject. I can envision you going into your friend’s kitchen, locating her tea kettle and getting the teapot ready. We become so familiar with our friend’s homes. This brought memories of my tea parties with my granddaughter and my daughter sitting in a chair too small for my proportions. I have these kind of friends…beautiful gifts from God.
That basket-oh my goodness, it is gloriously gorgeous! Such a unique and thoughtful idea. I may not be able to recreate it, but I certainly will copy this idea next time I have a friend in need.
Thank you!
Lidy, this is a lovely and thoughtful post. The thought of sharing a basket of tea with a friend who is sick, lonely, or just needs encouragement is a perfect idea. Who would not be encouraged by a visit and a basket filled with a pretty teacup to be gifted. Of course, the basket is beautifully packed with everything that is needed to enjoy a special teatime. I have a couple of friends that could use a gift of encouragement.
Thank you for sharing a beautiful presentation that would lift anyone’s spirit. It is always a pleasure to have you join Mary and me for tea. Wishing you a joy-filled Tuesday!
Good Morning Lidy, What a wonderful gift basket to give and share the gift of tea! So many pretties in your basket, as well as your tray, including my favorite tea book. I have a serious Silver Repousse Tea Strainer envy too…swoon! I adore lilacs and their heavenly fragrance, I wish I could find a variety that would grow well here. Thank you so much for joining us for tea today. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead. <3