Taking Time for Tea

For just a few moments, time stands still. I am no longer the busy mother – I become Lady Elizabeth, and my tea companions are no longer my little girls – they become the loveliest acquaintances to converse with: Lady Priscilla, Princess Mae, and Lady Esther.

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For just a few moments, we have the most elegant tea, surrounded by the finest things to be seen. We exchange news of our travels; one has traveled to Washington and England, another across the Great Sea to a new, strange land, and another to Michigan, to visit a Queen and her friends. We discuss the wonders of this modern era: the new steam engine and the telephone.

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For just a few moments, we use the best of manners, and give each other the most lavish gifts – hand-woven silk handkerchiefs from India, the most exquisite hand-painted miniature tea cups, and the finest Egyptian parchment. We have the grandest of times. We tell stories, laugh at old jokes, and revel in each other’s captivating company.

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For just a few moments, I lay aside my responsibilities, and become my girls’ best friend.

Because I know that childhood is only…for just a few moments.