Chamomile Tea
Have you ever wondered what to get someone for Christmas, and just couldn't seem to pick out the "right" gift? Have you ever opened a gift, and wondered if it would be something you will really like, or just another "dud" to hang on to for a reasonable length of time and then discard ... just in case the giver turns up on your doorstep?
1998 had been an unusual year for me. I had gone through so many changes in a short time. In April I "retired" for a few months from my job of thirteen years in order to take some time off from working, to heal from the death of my husband a few years earlier and some of the turmoil of my children's own problems, to adjust to the "empty nest" and to living alone in an apartment after selling my home, and to re-evaluate my life, to figure out what I was going to do with this new "rest of my life."
It was a virtual "do-over", so to speak. I decided to join the ranks of other people and go "online", to spend some of my spare time meeting some people in chat rooms and discover what everyone else was doing with their lives. I have met a number of very interesting and wonderful people, and have made some dear new friends whom I think will be with me for a very long time. One of these new "met on the 'Net" friends I will call David.
David and I met in a Yahoo chat room, just horsing around like a lot of other chatters. There followed an exchange of electronic e-cards, e-mails, and ICQ chats. We seemed to find in each other a kindred spirit, some common ground for long and fruitful conversations, a few skirmishes in the battle of wits, much laughter, and sharing of family news, along with a concern for each other's well-being. At summer's end David came down "south" for a visit and I delighted in showing him my city. Over Thanksgiving, I visited him, and he returned the favor and showed me his town, and the area where he grew up. I especially enjoyed spending Thanksgiving day with his family ... his parents and siblings ... and experiencing a "big Thanksgiving family holiday" with his family, something which brought back a flood of wonderful memories of years gone by. It was a delightful trip, and I greatly enjoyed my look at living "up north."
In all our conversations and visits we have seemed to nurture a growing friendship that fills a need, and a void perhaps, in our own lives. We have become very good friends over time, and I am so glad I made the decision to "go online" and take a chance on getting to know other people on the 'Net. Some decisions, though made apprehensively in the beginning, turn out to be real gems.
On my visit at Thanksgiving, we poked around little shops, including a small Amish market out in the country. He told me quite a bit about the local community of Amish people and how they choose to live their lives, and I made some small purchases of unique things to try. There were a few other items I thought about buying, but didn't for various reasons.
To my surprise, David's Christmas package arrived and included two of the items I had left unpurchased -- chamomile tea bags and a jar of extracted honey. Maybe without his knowing it, this simple Christmas offering of friendship over the miles that separate us has become my special gift this year. Chamomile tea is very relaxing, and I frequently drink a hot cup before retiring for the night, to send me off in a restful sleep. And now, each time I enjoy my cup of chamomile tea, sweetened with the natural honey, I will remember my friend David, and our special friendship. As I drift off to sleep, it will be with memories of our many delightful conversations, and the day we spent together exploring the little shops around his city.
Memories are some of the dearest gifts we can give to each other, because they are so personal and they touch our hearts in a meaningful way. Thank you, David, for sharing your friendship with me and for giving me these special memories to ponder as I enjoy my chamomile tea.
© 1999
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