A Spot of Tea

Today I'm joining Emily over at Chatting At the Sky for her "Tuesdays Unwrapped" link up.
Tuesdays Unwrapped is all about taking a moment to recognize and appreciate the very special moments of ordinary life. Sometimes they are lovely, sometimes they are messy, and sometimes they happen completely unexpected. 
From the title you probably guessed what I'm unwrapping this Tuesday! 
Tea....Something so simple, something I totally take for granted. Something that brings people together, or as it usually is in my case, something that brings me back together. 

Tea starts by putting the kettle on to boil. Then steeping a bag in a favorite mug. Moving on to hold the warm cup while the tea is still too hot to drink. Finally, I get to enjoy it. 
I haven't always liked tea (the hot variety anyway). It was only after being really sick and tea being one of the few things that I could hold down that I realized what I was missing out on. 
Now, I love to fix up a cup and take it somewhere quiet to sit and think, read, or study. 
This morning, my tea is joining me as I write this post. The cup is the same, the tea is the same, the little "ritual" of getting it ready was the same. But, today, my "tea time" is being unwrapped. 

I'm thinking back to the different people I have joined for tea and the places I have sat with it.
Front porches early in the morning in the humid south having quiet time with my Lord to prepare for the day. 
Porches in the afternoon in New England unwinding after a day of student teaching.
Couches of a cozy New England home with strangers who became family. 
A ranch in the middle of no man's land enjoying the absolute peace and quiet no matter the time of day
And then of course, there's home....Surrounded by the ones I love while I enjoy a moment to myself. 

Are you a tea drinker?
What are some of your favorite memories involving tea? 
What is in your tea cup?