A Cup of Self Renewal

On this day after Christmas I have the luxury of sleeping in and rising slowly. I can steal a few hours toward self-renewal today. The holidays are always a blur of activity. The last few years have found us Christmas afternoon in states of exhausted, happy slumber. Today none of us are seeking company, rather we revel in the moments of recharging and dreaming. The clean up will come soon enough.

On mornings like this, too few and far between, I turn to my tea set with joy. This morning it is a good pot of Assam, store bought scones and what little clotted cream I have been hording for a special day. Today is special. They all are, but today is the day to remember the fact. A slow cup of tea in a beautiful tea cup, a scone on a cut glass dish, clotted cream spread with a silver knife I bought at the Brimfield antiques market last year, these all make this morning a celebration.

If I glance away from the scene right before me I see the dishes that need washing, the room that needs picking up, the tasks that require my attention today. Many and pressing are the demands on my time. There is little space to let in my brain some days.

Today, for this moment, I choose not to look. I choose not to let those cares and concerns press in on my joy. I choose to revel in this moment, to stretch and to allow myself to feel the sense of peace and perhaps to relieve the tenseness in my shoulders. For this moment I claim me.

As I look ahead to the next year I am determined to find more time for my tea set and for my self.

I wish you a pot of tea and a cup of self-renewal.