The Healing Power Of Tea ~

This is the teapot / teacup combo I bought as a practical souvenir while in Hawaii a few years ago.

The teapot holds enough for two cups of tea . This is a good thing ( as Martha Stewart might say ) because everyone knows a person cannot have just one cup of tea when tea is the healing beverage of choice.

Our granddaughter was in the hospital recently for almost a week, and I was there with her. After 3 nights spent with her in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, my husband sat with her for a few hours while I went home to care for the animals, freshen up, and pack some things to keep me occupied while she slept. I also packed this teapot / teacup, and I am so glad I did. I think the healing power of hot tea and the simple act of sitting up, stirring the sugar in, and sipping the tea went a long way towards her getting out of the hospital a day or so earlier.

"Designed In Hawaii ". Our granddaughter needed to take in more fluids, but water does not appeal to her and the apple juice she loves was upsetting her stomach. I made her pot after pot of peppermint tea and gave her all the sugar she wanted, to stir into the tea. She told me "I like to stir the sugar in " and smiled. She also told me she liked the sound of the spoon clinking as she stirred. She loves peppermint tea with lots of sugar, so she drank a lot of tea. And it helped. I also made her get out of bed .I pulled up a side table in the hospital room , placed it on a rug I finished locker-hooking while I was there and set up a chair from the other side of the hospital room. A perfect tea table just for her !

I had her sit up and out of bed for her meals, and gave her play-dough, things to color, comforting and calming children's DVD's to watch. She had her doll and stuffed animals for company too. This did make a difference ! We went home sooner than the doctor thought we would and we were both very happy to be home. ( Our granddaughter is completely well & healthy now. )

How many times have you read in books or seen in movies people who are traumatized being offered or served tea ? Just the words "would you like a cup of tea" seem to evoke a coziness and sense of well-being in me. But practically, the hot peppermint tea, and yes, the sugar, were restorative. I am thinking from now on when I have friends or family in the hospital, I am going to show up with a teapot, a nice teacup, healing teas, maybe a snack to go with it, and leave them all behind for the patient to enjoy throughout their hospital stay. It certainly would not hurt , and most likely will go a long way towards their healing. " Come along inside...We'll see if tea and buns can make the world a better place." Kenneth Grahame , Wind In The Willows

I am linking with these blogs for Tea~ Time Tuesday :

Martha's Favorites *
Rose Chintz Cottage *
Bernideen's Tea Time Blog *