For The Love Of Tea

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." - C.S. Lewis

I have written about it before. I have a serious problem ... I am obsessed with tea. And not just any tea, but plain old black tea. English, Irish or Ceylon, I don't care where it's from I just can't stay away from it! It brings me comfort in the morning as I eat my breakfast; it brings me comfort in the afternoon when I settle in for a few minutes of knitting; it is my go-to for a cup of steaming peace.

Black tea is not the healthiest choice, however, for one with chronic pain. Recent weeks have brought me incredible discomfort and fatigue, and I am desperately trying to cut back on my rather embarrassing consumption. I have tried green tea which is very good for increasing energy levels, but simply put it tastes like grass water. Herbal tea is fine and I drink it at night, but it gives me little satisfaction. I have come to the realization that black tea can never be eliminated from my diet fully, despite the advice of Fibromyalgia experts. How can they take away one of the few joys I have while in such pain?

My love affair with this ancient beverage goes back to when I was in college and designed a book for my graphic design class my senior year. Cleverly called "Brimming Over" this book was a journey from the crop to the cup, describing the origins, history and cultivation of both coffee and tea. Through my explorations with finding the perfect images for my project, I discovered that I actually find a used tea bag kind of beautiful. I know, I'm way too crazy about tea! But hey, it's better and healthier than being too crazy about other fermented beverages. So I feel somewhat justified.

And yes, I have already had two glorious cups today, but I'm cutting myself off. Yeah, no more tea for sure. Well, maybe just ONE more cup ...