A cup of tea symbolises a lot of things. In my household there’s a joke that my mum can’t go 5 minutes without a cup of tea. She’s permanently attached to a cup of tea. It keeps her going in any situation. It’s a bit of joke. It reminds me of family, reminds me of my lovely mum, but also it’s taken on a whole new meaning for me since becoming a mum.
Becoming a mum and having a baby, something very little, like having a cup of tea became really hard. It wasn’t something you could do. Suddenly you didn’t have any time whatsoever to yourself, to have a cup of tea. It became a powerful symbol of self-care.
For me it was even more significant as I was quite poorly after I had my son. I had quite serious mental health issues and anxiety. I remember especially when I was really low, someone who took the time to talk to me when I was in that state, or offer me kindness in the form of a cup of tea was just really appreciated. It served as a reminder for me to take a breather, take a breath, stop, you deserve to have a little rest and a drink.
I was probably a bit scared to stop. I think for me when I was highly anxious, it was actually really hard to switch off, and to even think that anything was important other than the worries in my head. It was easier to be busy, to be anxious, to go with my worries, as opposed to stopping and trying to find stillness.
I think there's a reason tea doesn't keep well in takeaway cups and it's because it shouldn’t have to been done on the go. It is a stop and enjoy type thing. Whereas coffee and caffeine feel more like fuel that you can fill up and take away with you.
This permission to stop is about being a mum and a parent, that you need the care of other people in your community to look out for you and to say we know how it is and you can stop and we're in this with you. Come as you are, come and be.
It’s definitely an invitation. An invitation to stop.
