Simple Pleasures

Today was my first day of summer work. Thankfully, I am only working two days a week this summer, much more time for family and personal projects. As I made my way into the building this morning, I could not help but smile as gazed at the quaint little flower garden near the entrance. During the school year, I use a completely different entrance on another side of the building and almost never see this little garden. However, during the summer, I have the privilege of being greeted each morning by lovely little yellow birds and brightly colored butterflies soaring around and through a wide array of flowers, ferns, and shrubs. Twice during the day I journey to the mailbox and get to walk back through this little garden, each time experiencing a few precious moments of peace and beauty. Ah, the little pleasures of life....

Speaking of pleasure, I love drinking hot tea. Today a kind coworker shared a bag of chai spice black tea with me. For me there's something almost romantic and... literary about drinking a cup of hot tea. In much the same way that a good book transports me to another place and time, hot tea seems to capture my senses and usher my thoughts to faraway lands. Each flavor, each aroma holds a different destination. I go through phases of indulging in this simple pleasure. It seems to me that I somehow become so busy or distracted that I simply forget about hot tea but then somehow I find my way back to my old friend and the romance begins again. In my single days, I would often take a cup of caffeine free tea out on the balcony of my apartment before bed each night and lazily sip away while gazing at the nigth sky and watching my neighbors come and go. Now my evenings are filled with giving the baby a bath, rocking her to sleep, preparing for the next day, and then hopefully catching a few moments with my husband before I wander off to bed. But we all have to find a few moments here and there to relax and find a bit of quiet peace, I hope that mine will include more hot tea!