Time for Tea

 

Stopping for a while and sitting down to have a conversation over a cup of tea has somehow become a rare thing in my life.  But today I had the privilege of doing just that with a friend I am just getting to know.   To sit not only in her calm and cozy apartment, in front of the fire, (on April 14th no less) but in her calm and gentle presence, was just what I needed on this utterly miserable day and in the midst of this hectic week.

Poet Carl Leggo once said "The personal is universal".  That statement struck both Allan and I as such truth and it has borne out so many times in my life and experience.

I was struck again today as I sat in conversation with this dear friend, who has lived a couple more decades of life than I have, that so much of what we shared, the good, the blessings, the sorrows, the frustrations were, in many ways, so very similar.  We come from very different backgrounds, families, places in the world and yet our stories connect at so many points in the similarity of our experiences.  I think sometimes women seek out those connections from one another but I bet they are there for most people regardless of gender.

It is so good to remember that no matter how unique (or bleak) we might imagine our life path is, someone has been down the path ahead of us and someone is coming along behind.  As my friend shared with me the legacy of love and wisdom in her life, so will I attempt to pass on things that are worthy to those coming down the path behind me.

And as my friend so clearly said..... there is always God walking alongside whatever path we are on.......whether we care to acknowledge Him or not.  Today I choose to acknowledge him with gratitude.