All the Tea in China

It all started with an innocent comment.

I told my grandma how much I liked the ginger tea (hot tea) that we had at her house a couple months ago, and I mentioned that I couldn’t find it at any stores near me.

When she visited me a few weeks later, she brought me 4 boxes of ginger tea. Then, my aunt, who loves ginger tea, heard and mailed me 2 boxes of her favorite brand.

And then, my grandma, who was still not convinced I had sufficient supply, sent me a care package full of tea earlier this week. I knew what was in the box before I even opened it because: a) she said, “I’m sending you a ‘tea party!’ ” and b) I could actually smell the tea from outside the box.

This time there was every type of flavor and brand imaginable. I even got one that I never knew existed: “Organic Apricot Ginger Black Tea.” (That’s quite a mouthful!)

I decided I would share some tea with a lady in the neighborhood that I’ve befriended. She is a sweet lady who recently lost her husband, and I visit her every so often.

Yesterday I stopped by her house, and I gave her 2 boxes of tea.

The tea had not even left my hands before she darted to her pantry saying over her shoulder, “Honey, you like tea? I have some for you!”

And she gave me 2 boxes of Chinese tea from a friend in China.

Through this, I’ve realized that I not only have an abundant supply of tea, but also an abundance of generous people in my life.

And if you come over to my house, don’t be surprised if I offer you tea. At this point, I think I have enough to host afternoon tea (plus morning, noon, and evening tea) until 2014.