I just finished reading Under the Tea Leaves: Reflections of a Mother-Daughter Journey, and find myself the richer for it. This most primal of relationships – the relationship between mother and daughter – opens like a lotus in the steam rising from countless cups of tea shared by Sheryl and her daughter Sherry. What begins as a journey through the tea rooms of Iowa quickly becomes a journey of the heart. In each tea room visit, in the simple act of stepping outside of busy schedules to spend time with one another, Sheryl and Sherry rediscover themselves as well as one another. Over tea and chicken salad, they end up asking the essential questions: Who am I? Who am I in relationship to my family? What are my passions? What are my shortcomings? Where have I been, and where am I going?
Sheryl writes, “When Sherry and I share tea with each other, we offer ourselves.” An offering is something presented as a gift, often something given in sacrifice in worship. While there is nothing overtly religious about this book, you will find yourself on holy ground as you journey from tea room to tea room with Sherry and Sheryl. So turn off your radio, television, and telephone. Find a quiet spot and sit down with a fragrant cup of tea. Let the petals of your heart open in the steam that rises from your cup; in the words that rise up from the pages of this beautiful book.
Kathleen Deyer Bolduc is the author of His Name is Joel: Searching for God in a Son’s Disability, and A Place Called Acceptance: Ministry with Families of Children with Disabilities. Visit her website at www.kathleenbolduc.com