Tea party confessions

A few months ago, I had the chance to throw a tea party for a group of young women. I started our time together by confiding: 

When it comes to tea parties, I'm a faker.

It's funny to say that, especially since most of my friends - after any length of acquaintance - associate me with tea + teacups + tea parties. 

It's true! I love anything to do with tea, but it's not because I grew up with the tradition. Hey, I'm from the south. I didn't know tea existed apart from its icy sweetened form. I've never watched Downton Abbey, never visited England, and had never tasted hot tea until I moved to Alaska in my early 20s. 

Tea was not my thing. 

However, after having four girls in succession, it is something that quickly became part of our family culture. 

It's just that I don't know how to do a proper tea. 

You know - with crystal glasses and proper placement of utensils and cute little finger sandwiches and such. I don't know how to do all those things. 

Case in point: when our family was in Argentina on a mission trip several years ago, we came across this adorable tea sandwich shop. I didn't know that's what it was at the time; I'd never seen such a place in my life.

But there they were, all those beautiful lily white crustless tea sandwiches with cucumbers and dainty fillings, all wrapped and displayed in their petite rows.

It was like Subway went gourmet! (Sorry guys; that was the extent of my sandwich knowledge at the time.)

I'm sure we must have horrified the locals when we ordered several of those beautiful tea sandwiches, then promptly stepped out the door to unwrap and devour them.

On the street. 

In front of their store. 

Without a smack of tea to go with it.

See? I'm not the Tea Party Queen.

However, I know that whenever I serve my girls something - anything - in a teacup, it immediately makes them feel special. It makes them want to sit up straighter and use their best manners. It makes me want to light a candle and put on music from the Pride and Prejudice soundtrack. 

The bottom line is: having tea parties together makes my girls feel special and loved, and that feeling is what I want them to remember when they grow up.

And that, sweet friends, is why we have tea parties.

It's about love.