The Personal Side of Tea Part 1 and Happy Father's Day

So yes, I'm a tea expert, author of 2 tea books, and have had a tea business for almost 11 years. I am an official tea geek and love to talk withering, oxidation, and recipes with the best of them, but tea is also very personal to me.  It represents more than just a beverage or a business.  It has a deep connection to my everyday life personally as well as with my family.



Our second family tea together!

My intial business concept started while I was pregnant with my daughter.  I had an interest in tea and had bought some books, but never got a chance to read them since I was working.  While I was pregnant with my daughter, I had to go onto bed rest twice.  It is amazing what you have time to read when you are forced to lay in bed! After reading the tea books, I began to plan my tea business and as Kate grew so did my business plan.  It took four years to investigate and figure out what kind of business I wanted to have.

My husband and I have tea time every weekend. It is the time we catch up on schedules, life, and us. We also use tea time for business stradegy and planning. It is a time we connect with each other. When we miss it for some reason, the week just doesn't go right. Some of our tea times we spend sharing about life's hardships and we have faced a few in our almost 21 years together.



My husband and business partner Joe and I having tea.

I was reminded of that several weeks ago when for Mother's Day, my husband, kids and I went to go see the movie Soul Surfer. For those of you who aren't familiar with the movie, it is based on the true life story of a young surfer who was bitten by a shark and lost her arm. Here's the trailer that explains a little more if you aren't familiar with the story. 

So for Father's Day, I thought it would be good to share "our story", the personal side of tea for me, and how I couldn't have gotten through it all without my husband Joe's support.

Watching the movie as a family, we could relate so much to the struggles incurred when one them suddenly became an amputee. Watching the characters in the movie struggle with the tradegy after the shark bite hit very close to home with us. We all seemed to fight to hold back the tears through the movie as they tried to cope with a "new normal."  From removing the bandages, to people's stares, I related to so much of it.  

Be sure to join me next time as I explain why our family struggled through the movie as I share more of the personal side of tea.  As I recount our struggles, I am reminded of how blessed I am to have a husband who is not only a great husband and business partner, but a Wonderful Daddy to our two children!  Happy Father's Day  Joe and all the other wonderful involved dads out there!

Do you have a personal side or story to tell about tea?  Why don't you share it with everyone in the comments section!

 

Happy Sipping and Father's Day, Lisa