I was catching up on this weeks meal plan before tackling the days house work when she softly asked, “Mama, can I have some tea?”. I sighed within because I know that my girls have learned from their mama what it means to have tea. This is no quick pour some water over a bag and hand over a cup. She wanted tea. And on a morning where I am feeling sluggish and tired, I also knew that tea meant she wants to try out her new little tea set that she found at a thrift store and it hasn’t been washed out yet. But I kept the sigh inside and got their tea ready.

Little girls at tea.

Minus a couple of mop -ups over a spilled or overflowed cup and a few replenishing of a pot that hold only a couple of cups, I continued my house work as they drank their tea together.

And then their tea was done and while I was busy doing something else, they carefully carried their tea things and set them on the table for me to wash. I will enjoy seeing the tea rings on my meal plan this week that will remind me that as I willingly serve them, they also are learning to serve.

clean up.

Then as I began washing up dishes, including their tea set, one joined me to help and then the next. Again, I fought back the sigh of knowing that more water was going to end up on the floor and more than once heard a tone of annoyance in my voice as I reminded them that the cloth stays in the sink. But as we finished up, I felt my sluggish tiredness lift a little because of a (small)burden shared by two tiny girls. I thanked them as they ran off to play and Aneliese paused to say, “you’re welcome” and “it helped you to have us washing too, didn’t it?”. And our days continue as we learn and teach each other through our love.

Waiting for tea another day