“The road to a friend’s house is never long.” -Danish proverb
Today I pause to sip my cuppa (peach-infused tea from Israel) and reflect on tea times spent with my dear friend Terri Clark, who took up residence in heaven a few days ago. I honor her with a cup on the table beside me. I shall miss her greatly. We shared our faith plus love of family, good food, travel and all things tea.
Terri and I celebrating our 65th birthdays last November
Though the drive to each other’s home was over 20 minutes, that time was gladly spent in expectation of a delicious cuppa and an hour of conversation where you were welcomed, accepted and heard. Sometimes we would text one another to decide what tea we would be enjoying. As we settled in, the chatter swirled around events of the day, news about our children or our mission work, hers in Africa, mine in SE Asia. These topics usually filled the time needed to sip the first cup. By the time the second cup was poured, the conversation would open on a deeper level. We came to inhabit a sacred space during those times where our longings, dreams, struggles and reflections could emerge, feeling safe from editing, judging or “fixing.” The gift of being heard and valued is a treasure.
We had liberty to laugh, cry or simply have an off day. Both of us being “external processors,” we would often leave the hour with wisdom for the very thing we shared about. Such is the magic and miracle of a pot of tea with a friend, at least that was my experience with Terri, for 20-odd years.
It was a big transition for us when I moved to North Carolina last November. Terri spearheaded a surprise going-away tea party for me, hosted with three other good friends and many invited girlfriends. It was elegant and heartwarming. After I moved, we would set up phone dates, cuppa in hand, often launching the conversation with what we had chosen to brew, describing the weather and where we were seated for our tea time. Little did we know Terri would soon be making the greatest journey of all.
We partnered in mission travel to many nations. I will share about some of those journeys in the days to come. For today, it is enough to sip my tea and thank God for the gift of Terri and the friendship we shared. I miss you, my beloved tea buddy. I will see you later.
“Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, and the sweetness of a friend is better than self-counsel.” -Proverbs 27:9
