Tranquility in Just Two Cups

The something new to go along with my blueberry pie:


Black Beauty, another flowering tea from Numi, which consists of black gold-tipped leaves tied into a spirelike bundle.

As the little pyramid opened, slowly flavoring a pale golden, medium-bodied brew, a faint rose fragrance hovered above. The taste, gentle for a black tea, didn't overpower the naturally sweet fruitiness of the pie, and I found it a lovely pairing.

However, with pie this outstanding, tea made out of rotten lettuce leaves and steeped in garbage juice would probably taste pretty good.

Watching it the tea open on its second brew, I was listening to program on my favorite local radio station the other day, all about literature on walking: the meditative state taking a walk can bring, along with a discovery of tranquility, composure and satisfaction in the present moment. It struck me that's precisely what happens when you watch tea brew.

Walking or making the perfect cup of tea may seem unexciting, but they both force you to slow down and exist solely in the moment.

Both require some patience, too, to get the most out of them, but that's never a bad quality to cultivate. It's all too easy to rush through everything in the day, both pleasant and unpleasant.