Sancti-Tea and the next 18 years

I recently went next door after my kiddos were tucked into bed to return a laundry basket. The sweet mom next door began regaling me with the schedules of her two boys,  5 and 8, their extracurriculars, multiple sports, etc., and I could feel myself getting overwhelmed and stressed out for her. To sum it all up, she said, “It’s only 18 years, right?” All I could could think to say in the moment was, “Enjoy them while they are young!!”

I mean in no way to cast judgement on her or her obviously hectic days as a working mom trying to provide the best opportunities for her boys. But I instinctively recoil at the idea that we are only trying to make thorough 18 years of chaos. Not that I am so perfect myself. Believe me I have days when I am counting the seconds until the reinforcements (my husband) arrive. But when you live each day in the presence of God, it is truly an invaluable treasure, full of graces, of joy and suffering, and of infinite value.

Sometimes we have to stop for a moment during the day to recenter ourselves and reflect on that reality in the midst of the trenches. For me, this is best achieved with a cup of something warm. For some reason, the cradling of the warmth in my hands and the inhaling of steam soothes me from the chaos. It is an invitation to reflection, prayer and peace. (It also helps that this is done during the baby’s naptime and the big boys’ quiet time).

A recently launched company aims to help us people achieve these moments of reflection.  Sancti-Tea’s philosophy is as follows:

Sancti-Tea is a family company dedicated to sanctifying ourselves and others through our work. We believe that each day is an opportunity to serve others as well as preserve the balance in our own lives. Our mission is to spread this message to others through our tea. A simple cup of tea can become a daily routine which provides an opportunity to slow-down.

At Sancti-tea we believe that if everyone took five minutes while their tea infuses to focus on bringing virtue into every area of their life, our communities would be much better places. It is our goal to change lives through our tea.

There is even a list of ideas for meditating on virtues on their website.

And the tea? It’s really good. I mean really good. This coming from a tea lover. The story I heard was that when they were determining the precise blend in a blind taste test, the winner was the absolute highest quality blend of Keemum and Assam tea leaves, a unique mixture of the best of China and England.

Just think if everyone took a break everyday

to reflect,

to pray,

to inhale,

would we be rushing headlong into getting through the next 18 years? Or would be we living in the present moment, grateful for the blessings around us, seeking to live charity in the most ordinary moments of the everyday? Because in reality we are not living for the next weekend or the next thing on our to-do list or the next 18 years. We are living for eternity as God intended.