Strength does not lie in what you have, but in what you have to give

Tuesday is tea time plants day at my house. The tropical plants with dry soil get to live in the house with me because there is less tendency for moldy dirt.  From collecting the little flower pots to enjoying a cu of tea, this ritual has led me inspired card making and counting the tiniest of blessings. 

When the tea time plants take too long to collect from the windowsills and various locations- so that my tea brews overly strong -then I know it’s time to give away plants! It is such a joy to share garden goodies with a friend.  The tea pot is first put on to boil water, then the dollar store dish pans are filled with an inch of water for the potted plants to “bathe” in.   Usually by then the tea pot is screaming at me, so it’s time to pour my teapot full.  Next I start gathering all the little pots to set into the bath water.  Usually I forget one and just when I’m about to sit down, memory demands a pop-up run to collect another one.  The day when I  brewed my awful white tea, there were definitely too many plants if my tea was that bitter!

Tuesday’s teatime has become a ritual for me. Whether it be a beneficial created habit or one that we struggle to break, habits and character belong to the bigger pictures of legacy and destiny.  So Tuesday teatime gives me think tank time. These thoughts often get written down sometimes neatly other times as scribbles on scraps of paper.  Those thoughts soon drive me into action.  Whether it’s a list of to-do’s or a letter.  The actions which follow soon lead to habits.  Like each days coffee brewing, pill popping, first of the day teeth-brushing, we all have things that have become very ritualistic in our lives.  Habits create character. When Seymour enters the greenhouse, he turns right and heads straight to the yellow water can for a drink. Every time.  I have moved the watering can just to see his reaction.  Unlike animals we have the power to bend our character and plant a legacy. In turn destiny is also ours to pay forward. 

Tiny little pinky violet flowers are so pretty  on the plant, why not pick them early and press them for notecards to give away blessings?  Bloom where God plants you. This has become my motto as I feel so rooted to this place where I live. While others call me in their frequent drive-time. Going anywhere other than the greenhouse is not frequent at all for me.  Words can be so uplifting, Proverbs‬ ‭16:24‬ ‭ESV‬‬ says, “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” http://bible.com/59/pro.16.24.esv  I first got the idea to press flowers in tiny note cards from my fall  chrysanthemum. it too has tiny flowers that measure only thumbnail sized (which is about 2 inches from flower petal to stem). However the little pinky pilots have a flower petal that it’s no bigger than the pinky fingernail. Like the study of an ant colony, these miniature creatures can become Giants in uplifting encouragement.

One final look at teatime. Tea itself can be pleasure and joy with it’s taste and the warmth it provides the body from the inside out. Sometimes it’s the little things that can keep us going during difficult times in our lives.  Whether it’s having a Tuesday habit,  a favorite tea during collegiate  study, or tea for two time with a long-life friend tea time plants in the soul a distinct character that leaves a certain legacy of its own.  Sun-brewed summertime tea will always make me think of outside activities done with my spouse. These tiny “tea blessings” (below) will always remind me of visiting my daughters apartment during college.  Photograph by Lennea Clark.