Have a Cuppa – Open Book Blog Hop #462

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

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Topic #462

What’s your favorite hot beverage, and how do you prepare it?

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In these times, the little things, like a cuppa, are going to be the most important to hold us through the day. I find myself thinking of the sacrifices my grandparents made during the course of their lives. They grew up in the Great Depression and survived the Second World War. Want and sacrifice were a hallmark of their formative years. They also labored to make sure their children and grandchildren did not experience the same. All that labor being lost to greed is heartbreaking.

But, there is much we can do. Just like those past generations, we must labor to maintain what we have and obtain better. No sitting on our duffs thinking we are owed. That said, self-care is necessity. It’s not going to be easy, am I right? Therefore, we need to do the little things that keep us warmed inside and rested so we can do the labor.

I’ll tell you, a cuppa can go a long way to heal a heart. Mental health is going to suffer the most while we labor to hold onto our rights or forge ahead to improve the world. And, this is worldwide. Do not mistake that the powers of evil are always at work to roll back advancements. Admitting that there are bad actors for the sake of bad acting (sociopaths and psychopaths, as well as malignant narcissists) is important to knowing how to care for ourselves. They will gaslight and feed without regret, so we need to grayrock and rest without regret.

A cuppa, whatever is your favorite, should be an imperative. The British knew this during the Second World War. I think my fellow hoppers from that lovely Island will agree! I’d go on to say that it helped win the fight. That little bit of normalcy and comfort helped the fight go on. Imagine if everything were taken? For instance, in my book OP-DEC, Claire clings to her red lipstick, which symbolizes her lost comfortable life and women’s contributions to the war efforts. Basically, it was her fight song.

So don’t discount the importance of your particular cuppa in your life. It doesn’t have to be anything special, just your comfort. For me, Coffee every morning, a different flavor a day, is essential to start the day and then keep me up in the afternoon. I have a full coffee bar set up in my kitchen for this purpose. That bar also includes my tea. Barry’s tea to be exact. It has to be that. I do like an herbal fruit tea now and then, and have the tea balls to prove it! Lastly is my oolong.

Oh, Oolong tea… Years ago I had an orange blossom oolong tea that left me breathless. I have not been able to find it again. I miss this tea. It was a real pick me up. I’ve drank a lot of green tea, including gunpowder, and none of it comes close. Oolong is its own thing. Sometimes nutty, sometimes a bit fruity. It IS love in a cup. That suits me perfectly, because it endears me more to my studies about Chinese culture. It’s an anchor and a comfort. So my search for that tea continues.

I’d say, that although I daily intake coffee, that the orange blossom oolong is the one I need most. I’m going to renew the search, because I’m going to need it to carry me through this struggle. Maybe someday, like it was for our grandparents, all of this will be behind us and we will have created the best possible world for the kids that come to replace us. In the meantime, drink up that cuppa and get back to the fray.

Remember, the writer is an important figure during difficult times. We all need you to keep writing, having those difficult discussions, and pressing for better ways in the world. Don’t ever shut up! Someone out there needs your words to comfort their aching hearts. You are their cuppa.

Click on the links below to see how the other authors answer this question. Maybe you’ll find a new comfort to support your health. Before you go, drop your email address in the subscription box. The hop will arrive in your inbox every Friday.

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