Steeping the Tea Leaves of Life

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“Above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl

The other day the paper on the end of my tea bag string had just two words, “Live consciously.” As I sat and sipped my tea, I thought, “say more.”

Years ago, I read a passage in Mark Nepo’s Book of Awakening that heightened my appreciation for tea.

“If we stop to truly consider it, making tea is a miraculous process. First, small leaves are gathered from plants that grow from unseen roots. Then boiling water is drained through the dried leaves. Finally, allowing the mixture to steep creates an elixir that, when digested, can be healing.

The whole process is a model for how to make inner use of our daily experience. For isn’t making tea the way we cipher through the events of our lives? Isn’t the work of sincerity to pour our deepest attention over the dried bits of our days? Isn’t patience the need to let the mixture of inner and outer brew until the lessons are fragrant and soothing on the throat? Isn’t it the heat of our sincerity that steams the lessons out of living? Isn’t it the heat of those lessons that makes us sip them slowly.”

Steeping my “live consciously” tea bag made me think of three miraculous events that happened in the last 4 weeks.

The first leaf

A few weeks ago, on the last morning we were staying at an AirBnB on Whidbey Island, I took Cooper, the dog, out to go potty. It was 5:30 in the morning and still dark enough to notice that the dome light on my car was turned on. Ugh, it must have been on for almost 24 hours since the kids and I went to the grocery store. I got the keys and tried to start the engine and it wouldn’t turn over. But the dashboard lights came on so I knew it wasn’t entirely dead.

I turned off the light, locked the doors, and went back in to meditate. I tried to dial down the worry about what I’d do if the car wouldn’t start while on vacation and away from the usual people I’d lean on. Check out wasn’t until 11am so I told myself not to fret about it until 10:30am. Instead, the kids and I packed up and went to the beach one last time.

When 10:30am came, I unlocked the doors, put the key into the ignition, prayed, and turned the key. The car started.

The second leaf

Miss O had been asking for weeks to go to the new Boba tea shop in our neighborhood. We tried once and it wasn’t open. Other times we had too much going on. Finally, on a Sunday in mid-April, we got there. Miss O carefully scanned the menu. Her taste palates are pretty selective. After much consideration, she ordered a strawberry chocolate Boba. She took one drink and didn’t like it. She wondered if we could get our money back and looked absolutely miserable. I reminded her that it’s okay to try new things and to not like them.

Mr. D had a raspberry lemon rooibos and was blissfully sucking his down without noticing his sister’s unhappiness. I was standing there pondering. I wanted her to be open to trying new things. But I also didn’t want to signal we could buy $7 teas until she liked one.

Then there was a moment when the shop cleared out, no one was waiting for a drink and there was an extra raspberry lemon rooibos on the bar. I asked the barista if we could pay for it. She said to just take it. Pure magical rescue from our misery!

The third leaf

Mr. D said a few times that he wanted to learn to become a ninja. He repeated this again on a Monday afternoon about three weeks ago when I picked him up from school. Miss O was also in the car. On a whim, we all were up for popping in to the Aikido dojo in our neighborhood to see if it would work.

We showed up right at the time of the class for kids, the sensei told us this class is for training to be a samurai, not a ninja and Mr. D was okay with that. She invited Mr. D and Miss O to join the class starting right at that moment, and they both loved it.

It was one of those moments where everything lined up like dominos. The least planning I’ve ever had to do for a great fit.

Here’s the tea I made from this

Living consciously for me means finding the magic in moments. The light touch that I can sense sometimes when I’m scared, confused, or need an easy win. It doesn’t mean that the dog doesn’t throw up, or I won’t break and spill the glass of water right before I’m supposed to lead a webinar. But it gives me a glimpse of a wider view in which I can find the current to flow with.

52 thoughts on “Steeping the Tea Leaves of Life”

  1. These are the wondrous moments in life that coming with being open. Thanks for sharing and reminding us that such synchronicity is possible.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Ohmygosh…ohmygosh…ohmygosh. Finding the magic in moments. I’m with you – and thanks for serving up plenty of those moments, blogging-style, Wynne! 🥰

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    1. Funny that you say that – I’ve been watching the classes and thinking they’d be fun to take myself!

      She did like it better. But she hasn’t asked to go back so it might have been relief as much as anything.

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  6. What great timing. I have a work project that is getting close to launching, which is to say I feel like I’ve been a roller coaster, and this is just the advice I needed today. Finding the magic in moments. I love the idea of looking for the glimpses or small moments. We all have them, but it’s so easy to forget to look for them or appreciate being in the moment. What great advice. Thank you.

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  7. I love this: “Living consciously for me means finding the magic in moments.” Your daughter’s unfortunate tea moment that turned out well brought back a memory. I was with my infant daughter and three year old son and their cousins (exactly 10 years older than my kids) who live in your neck of the woods. They were staying with us in Laguna Beach. I took them to Jamba Juice and they didn’t like what they ordered. Their mom bought them two more tries each! The person working at Jamba Juice exchanged some surprised looks with me.

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    1. That’s funny, Elizabeth. I was trying to put my finger on why I thought it wasn’t right to just keep buying her more tries. I think it’s the underlying message that we could buy our way out of disappointment?

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      1. My brother made a ton of money and retired before 40. They have a different standard of living than us. We spoiled our kids as well, but I would never buy them three Jamba Juices until they found one they liked. That happened more than on one occasion. I wanted my kids to realize the differences between needs and wants, and the value of money as a result of work.

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  9. Talk about literally reading the tea leaves, Wynne. I love all these moments, especially your future samurai world defenders! Boba is also good – my favourite is grass jelly milk tea. You have to try it!

    I agree with living consciously and in the moment. And I’m glad you had these moments to reinforce this lovely wisdom throughout your week.

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  13. Years ago before the age of cell phones, I was driving home in the wee hours of the morning when my car signaled engine trouble. I was seriously concerned about being stranded on the streets of DC alone in the dark. I felt comfort in knowing that at least I wasn’t lost—until suddenly, I looked up and didn’t know where I was! I have no idea what happened, but I was in unknown territory! I had turned a corner and was totally confused about how I strayed from my safety zone. An initial burst of panic was replaced with a sense of “okayness” and I relaxed and just kept on turning corners in a dark, deserted, unfamiliar, slightly scary neighborhood. Imagine my shock and delight then, when one turn took me directly to a middle-of-nowhere 24-hour auto service, lit up, beckoning like the north star! Twenty minutes later the problem was fixed and home I went. How many layers of magic did it take to get me there? I have no idea—but it’s moments like those that make a true believer out of me. Magic and miracles in all sizes and shapes abound—we just need to be willing to open to them. Thanks Wynne. I really needed that reminder!

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  18. I love all of this so much. What an amazing thing that the car started! That the very tea unclaimed was the one her brother had already discovered was a winner. That amazing timing for the class. Funny that the sensei said it was for training samurai not ninjas. Ha! All so wonderful. Thank you for sharing these, Wynne!

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  20. I love your writing voice and this bit of advice is what I needed today as we have had one rainstorm after another here in Texas – “Living consciously for me means finding the magic in moments.”!!!!!

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  21. I love these lessons from a teacup…and adore the tea you made from all of this! Keep riding the waves, Wynne….and when needed, capture them waves and boil them for tea! 💞💞💞

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  22. I love all these wondrous moments, growing up my PopPop (grandpa) would refer to them as “kisses from God.” As they made you feel warm, fuzzy, and seen. ♥Thanks for sharing!

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