We all have them. The specialty teas we bought as a splurge, that we save for a special event. For me its my Milk Oolong. It occupies my favorite tea tin on a top shelf in my kitchen. I had designated it as a tea I should only touch in celebration of momentous occasions, something I thought of as an impressive display of self restraint. However I received advice that changed my entire viewpoint. Drink Your Tea. Such a simple point but also so impactful. How many of us save our favorite teas, rationing them out teaspoon by teaspoon. But why delay your enjoyment? Tea is plentiful; be it a store front, a farmers market, or a website like this you can find more of your tea. So why save it? The only thing you are guaranteeing is that your tea will slowly go stale, risking each "special pccasion" cup not being as special as you remember it.
So if you don't save it, what do you do with it? You Drink It!. How do you decide what days 'deserve' a premium cup of tea? You Don't!. Why put yourself through the anguish of deciding what day deserves a good cup of tea? Life is short, start every day with an excellent tea, and end every day with an amazing one. If you need an occasion to celebrate, let it be that you have succeeded in the most impressive and important task of your day, which is living it. You've braved the day, and whether it was amazing, busy, tiring, productive, god awful or serendipitous you deserve a congratulatory cup of tea.
Tea does have a life span. Do the best thing for both yourself and your tea and enjoy it while it is at its best . And while it may be sad when you reach the bottom of your favorite tin, you can experience the joy of getting a fresh new batch of it. So, GO! Fill your cup, face each day fortified by your favorite tea, and say goodbye to every day relaxing with another one.
-Margaret Pettit, Tea Bazaar's Tea Specialist