In the box were those precious and very special items!
Marie Claire Idees was introduced to me by a friend who visited me from Paris (France) about 6-5 years ago. She knew I loved art and crafts so she brought me back a few magazines and Marie Claire Idees were the ones I mostly fell in love with! Every time I receive a package from Paris, in addition to treats I get some French magazines but it's been a while since I got a Marie Claire Idees. I was so excited I could not even browse it properly going from page to page excited to see what good stuff I would find...So I decided to take 25 minutes away from the children to indulge....
My twin sister is the one who first introduced me to his beautiful voice and to this particular song. This song has had such a profound impression on me the first time she played it that each time I am in need of serenity I listen to his music. I found this one recently on the internet and it was like finding a lost loved one. Listening to it send me into a deep nostalgic yet happy state.
My tea time today was like therapy to reconnect to the best things of my childhood as my birthplace is suffering so many destructions. For months the city has suffered so many unpleasant things and this week has been the worst, so I needed something more special than a regular cup of tea! My friend's gift arrived at the perfect time and nature embraced me with open arms as the weather was very conducive to having tea time in the garden!
A lot of childhood memories have come back to my mind since the events of this week in my birthplace. I needed to relieve the stress and after my mom's visit this afternoon and her sharing more details of some of the chaos going on in my hometown my stress level was seriously increasing. I don't like to cary stress in my mind or in my body so I needed something therapeutic and I needed quick!
A special memory I had today was how my siblings and I, (and every friend who would join us), used to take our afternoon snacks on the patio or spread a tablecloth on the lawn. Unlike those innocents years, today I don't have time to spend hours enjoying myself in such a manner. Today I only had 25 minutes to recreate the best I could a peaceful memory with French reading materials and snacks. I needed that this Friday afternoon.
I needed to count my blessings, take some times to enjoy the afternoon breeze, create a moment of serenity in a busy day and in a week where all the distant news I have received were far from good.
I needed to give thanks and enjoy being so blessed with a wonderful family and wonderful friends who would send me a gift all the way from Paris!
I can not say it enough! Making time for oneself even if it's just 15 minutes a day can pay great dividend in our mental, emotional and physical health! I just wanted to share how I made 25 minutes a gift to myself just so that I can be better to my family! So you might not be able to afford tea time in a fancy restaurant but you can turn a little corner of your deck, balcony or home into a refuge for just 15-30 minutes! If you spend the day caring for others you have to find ways to care for yourself for just a few minutes! This is actually very important if stress seems to be constant part of your life!
Tea time is a nurturing time for me regardless of if it's very early in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon or right before heading to bed!
Do you have such a nurturing time in your day? If yes what makes that time so nurturing to you? If you don't do you see through this post a reason to create such moments for yourself? What do you like to drink you tea with? Do you have a favorite cake or cookie you use to accompany your tea?
N'na
