Tea with Fear and Despair


Tea with Fear and Despair

a prose encounter with two of the wisest teachers

Photo by Kimzy Nanney on Unsplash

Welcome

Welcome friends fear and despair

Come in

Come in, please

Would you like some tea?

Chamomile or special blend?

We’ll have the special blend if that is what you are serving

Good choice

Now

Now while we steep and ponder, letting the herbs and grains soften their lovely hold

Let us talk about our days.

Fear, what’s going on in your world?

Oh, the world is horrible. I can’t go out; I can’t do all things that I would enjoy. There’s not much for me to do. I can’t go anywhere.

Hmmm, I see.

What about you despair?

Oh, the world is falling apart. I can’t take the pain anymore. My heart bleeds.

Please

Please, I wish every day the pain would go away, but it doesn’t

Hmmm, I see


Why don’t we have some tea now? It should be done steeping now.

Let us hold the tea, feeling the warmth of Mother’s kiss upon our hands.

Imagine the herbs and flora hand-picked from the earth, given freely for our health.

The hydrangea

The licorice root

The hibiscus

The hyacinth

Ginger’s rooted thoughts

Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory offerings

Lest not forget the ancient red bush’ secrets and story-line.


Oh, let the smells float, drifting into the nares, calming inner spirits

Just for a moment

*long exaggerated smelling sound

Oh, enjoy this moment with tea

Enjoy this moment of feeling

Something so eloquent

Now, when you are ready, go ahead and take a sip

Allowing your taste buds to feel the savory blend and magical ease of the herbs and the Mother’s gift

Allowing that fear or despair to pause for but a moment

Allowing peace to fill your oropharynx

Just for a moment

Hold it there

Hold it there

Imagine something different; whatever comes to mind will do.


Now swallow.

*Warm quenching sound of taking a drink

Allowing it to coat the stomach

*long exaggerated smelling sound

Allow it to fill the area of the solar plexus with warmth

…and forgiving peace

…and quiet

Just for a moment.


Just for a moment, let the chatter of the mind disappear while focusing on how our belly feels

Comforted at this moment in time.

At this moment in time, we feel comforted.

*Exaggerated Sighing sounds and drawn out exhales

Letting the breath out, taking another sip

Let us chat

About life’s events

They come, they go

Filling our heads with their thoughts

Depending on our cornea and retinal scans’ lens, we see a world as we see it.

But what if we felt something different?

What if we felt a deeper calling, higher purpose, or whatever you want to call it?

Do we follow that?

Do we follow that feeling or thought?

Alright, now let it all go, even the feeling or calling of what may be.


Photo by Verena Böttcher on Unsplash

Drink up; we are almost done here.

I am so glad we got to talk. Thank you both for stopping by.

I do hope this tea has calmed your nerves, allowing peaceful resting invites for the many.

Now go home!


Often like songs of the ether, universal thoughts or wherever these story-lines come from, this little prose came to life with recorder in hand. So I share it here, for all to enjoy. Please take a sip, let me know what comes to thought. With smiles from my heart to yours, I gift to you, Tea with Fear and Despair.

Joseph Lieungh