How a cup of tea is teaching me to have patience for my healing during a pandemic.

By Urma Redmond

I have always known that a cup of tea will (eventually) make you feel better.

At first, it was solely for when I wasn’t feeling my best physically. Be it a sore throat, raging headache, or congested nostrils, it was nothing a cup of tea couldn’t solve. Now that I’m older, I realize that tea is also a type of medicine for when I’m not feeling my best at all. Be it post-graduate depression, heart-wrenching disappointments, or restless anxiety, it is still nothing a cup of tea cannot alleviate. Sip, settle, repeat.

Ideally.

The world has entered into a scary season of waiting. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified a lot of our anxieties and depressive thoughts, especially mine. Before the pandemic, I longed to fast-forward to the point in my life where I would feel truly healed. I wished I could skip joyfully over the work that’s necessary for this healing to take place. Now, we’re waiting for businesses to open up, and money to become somewhat stable again. We are looking forward to day parties, strolls through outdoor markets, and breathing the fresh air freely with no restriction of a mask. We are fixated on when the coronavirus will finally be conquered; when this uncomfortable uncertainty will provide some sort of clarity.

Whether it’s because of pandemic pressure or personal agony, I often find myself on edge. Sometimes the easiest (and most meaningful) way to climb down off that edge is to wade into a cup of tea. 

How beautiful to know that even with the world making all these sharp twists and turns, tea will always be still. You just have to practice the patience to get to your tea; once you’re there, you get to your healing.

I’ve learned the importance of following through on the steps to making a cup of tea. Whether I wake up with a weak immune system or a heavy heart, I have to make the decision to take the steps to feeling better. There is no magical supplement to your joy; only small acts that get you there. Here is what a cup of tea taught me about having patience for my healing during a period of uncertainty:

Preparation + Creation

Take the time to discover what it is that you need. Lemons. Honey. Ginger. Collect these additional items as though they are treasures. Mix and manifest these essential gems to enhance your tea, which will in turn enhance your well-being.

Turn the knob and watch carefully as your water begins to steam and boil. Place the tea into the cup that’s prepared to be filled. Pour the water into that cup, as though you’re pouring love back into yourself. Add in drips and drops of your chosen gems. There’s an excitement in taking the time to intentionally prepare tea for a specific purpose.

Anticipation

Now, you wait. It sounds ideal to jump into your healing medication. I understand how quickly you want to get your groove back after you’ve been drenched in a funk. You get restless waiting to embrace a good feeling.

Please, don’t burn yourself by taking that hot, first sip. You don’t want to hurt yourself. You cannot rush your healing process; the same way you cannot rush the cooling of a scalding hot cup of tea. 

The anticipation is tough. The stillness is tough.

However, the wait is worth it.

Digestion + Relaxation

When the tea is ready, you take your sips until you’re able to gulp down the entire cup. It’s heartwarming. Your body is rooting for you. Your body is celebrating your conscious decisions and excellent effort. Your body is proud, and grateful that you made it through the cup.

Relax. Find peace and comfort in knowing that your healing is active. It’s ongoing. It’s your journey to honor.

Even in the middle of a pandemic, we must continue to work on our healing. Patience is a difficult, but magnificent practice. There is no accurate number of steps necessary for healing. There is no ETA for when you’ll be in that better space you’re yearning for. Keep giving yourself grace and patience for your healing, regardless of what season you’re facing. All that matters is movement: you are heading there. A small gesture such as making a cup of tea is a big move. 

Keep moving, and keep drinking tea.

Urma Redmond is a freelance copywriter based in Philadelphia. “Haircare and culture, so rich and fulfilling. Women who run things are always so thrilling. Green lifestyle habits, and peachy singing. These are a few of her favorite things.”