After days of tiered trays, polished silver, and ceremonial pours in Washington, DC, our hotel was nothing remarkable. It was in the perfect location, but the building itself had seen better days. For me, a hotel is mostly a place to sleep. One of the deciding factors in booking it was the free breakfast — no surprise there.
Each morning I fixed tea in the hotel café using Bigelow black or green tea bags in standard paper cups. Nothing exotic. Nothing ceremonial. Just hot water from a dispenser and a wrapped tea bag torn open between conversations and clinking breakfast plates.
One morning, as I tossed the empty wrapper away, something caught my eye.
On the back of the packet, in small print, it read:
“Take this moment just for you.” — The Bigelow Family
Below it were the suggested steeping instructions.
I don’t know why it struck me the way it did, but it did. A tea sold in nearly every grocery store in the country still takes the time to remind us that even a humble paper cup of tea can be a moment of self-care.
As the trip continued — through Turkish hospitality, Chinese ceremony, and traditional opulence — that small quote stayed with me.
I realized something simple but steady: I don’t need luxury for ritual. I don’t need loose leaf for pause. I don’t need a tiered tray for presence.
After all the ceremony and exotic teas, a simple tea bag still held meaning.
This journey isn’t about mastering tea or chasing perfection. It’s about noticing the moment in front of me — whether it arrives on polished silver or in a paper cup.
And sometimes, it’s the paper cup that reminds me most clearly.
Love the simple days and moments!
Those still small moments! Love the post! 🥰🥰🥰