You guys, I didn’t realize how much I needed the ritual of making chai. Since we opened the chai corner last week, there is something so soothing about coming into the kitchen and making a big pot. Watching the water in a full boil, smelling the warming scent of the spices, adding the milk and observing the perfect color emerge—all of it makes me so happy. And, that doesn’t even get into the actual ritual of drinking the cup of tea.
This morning routine is one I am intimately familiar with. Every morning, no matter what time it was, my mom would get up and make a pot of chai. She couldn’t start her day without it; and these are the sounds and smells of my childhood. This small act has made me reminisce about my mom, my childhood, and the moments of joy.
Sharing tea has so many layered meanings for the Indian culture: it’s a social act, it shows love, it lets people know they’re important and wanted, and so much more.
When we slow down and share a cup of tea with each other, we are saying, “I see you and you matter.”
I would love to know what some of your rituals are. What soothes your soul? What rituals have fallen by the wayside that this letter brought back to consciousness? Let’s sit down and having a cup of chai and chat.
Xx
Jesi
2/21/2022
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