best served hot or iced

Tea!

Best served hot, with a little cream and sugar.

Iced is good on a hot day

Hot or iced...tea is good.

The tea always starts hot, steaming, inviting, ready!  Then tea delays happen. Children need help getting ready for school, gotta hop in the shower, answer an email, take the dog out.  The quickly cooling liquid gets transferred into a travel mug after a quick warm in the microwave and we're off. Typically, the one cup lingers about, now room temperature, and forgotten or barely given a second glance.  A fresh cup procured often finds the same treatment on my desk or kitchen counter.  

Many things should only be served hot or ice cold...not lukewarm!

Hot: soup (Loretta Hot please), corn on the cob, cocoa, pizza, brownies.  The "best served hot" list is endless

Ice cold: ice cream, champagne, watermelon, ice cold milk served on top of cereal, beer!

Interestingly, this week I was told to "avoid lukewarm".  Interesting!

The doctors think that the tumors may be pressing on my hypothalamus and pituitary glands causing them to quit functioning as the should. These two glands tell you when you are full and give your body signals to stop eating and drinking. My body is currently not receiving those signals making me very thirsty.  When I eat, I have to stop myself so I don't over eat. The liquid consumption is being closely monitored.

So why avoid lukewarm?  Hot and cold are more satisfying to the mouth.  When drinking or eating something hot or really cold, we have to go slower so we don't burn ourselves. There is intentionality about it.

Sitting and drinking a cup of tea takes on a whole different rhythym when it has to consumed while hot! You can't check Facebook or fold the clothes when your hands are occupied by hot mug of tea.  I am monitoring how much goes in so I want to make every sip count.

And of course, the whole idea of avoiding the lukewarm has risen to the surface as a theme for me as my days have begun to get smaller.  

There is not a lot of activity due to my worsening vision, dizziness and increasing fatigue.  Reading is difficult, writing even more so.  Negotiating my home is slow and methodical.  I have events I am stockpiling my energy for in the coming days.

But as small as my world is getting, hot and cold are present every day.

Hot fiery tears sting our faces everyday. Laughter can burn and still be tender.   Scary, I-don't-feel-very-brave-today, ice comes sliding off roofs, smashing its crystals in front of door ways that need addressing. 

There is the temptation to avoid the hot and cold...just stay lukewarm and positive.  If we just let things come to a more comfortable temperature, they will be easier to process and cope with. Satisfaction decreases as the hot cools and the ice warms.

Lingering and not rushing over that hot cup of tea, tasting it as it should be: hot and ready! Feeling the hot tears of anger or fear or the belly ache of laughter.  

When things run cold, when the crisp icy grip wets and coats and makes me feel frozen, I lean in and question and try to understand.  How can I really embrace what's been placed before me? By eating it as it was intended: hot or iced...not lukewarm. Don't linger...drink up...it's hot or cold now.

This path, this journey, this cup of hot tea or ice tea, is best when served hot or iced.  Choose one.

Avoid lukewarm