Family Traditions

  Having a good relationship with family is very important. A lot of people are robbed of that opportunity in different stages of their lives for one reason or another. Often it's a circumstance we just can't fix. Sometimes it's things that can be fixed with love, understanding, and time. In my family, we built strong relationships with one another through traditional get-togethers. Holiday dinners were at my grandmother's house, there were Christmas parties at cousin's and aunt's houses, and Orange Mandarin Tea with a wonderful woman who tripped roles as both grandmother and aunt. Her name was Margaret Warren and she was a class act.

  My biggest regret is leaving that dear woman's home without a proper goodbye. Rattled by the fact that her age and memory failed her, I left one last time as a grouchy teenager wishing she'd stop calling me by my mother's name. She was a cultured woman who had authentic Gucci and Louis Vuitton bags in her closet of bright polyester and silk outfits. Her skin was lovingly wrinkled with age as she shuffled around an immaculate kitchen to make our favorite treat of wheat toast, applesauce, and Orange Mandarin Tea. Maybe that sounds like a simple snack, but I felt like a special grand-daughter/niece as I watched my beautiful grandma/aunt prepared everything. This was our little ritual that made me feel like she really cared about me. Something about sitting at the kitchen table with her made me feel very special. It was a closeness between generations and a link to my mother. This was the woman who raised her to be the amazing, talented creature she was.

  Her small, earthy brown kitchen always smelled like delicate soap and aged wood. She kept the tea in a cabinet high above the room with her favorite plastic retro yellow teacups. When she opened it, a soft scent of spicy tea and the essence of the pristine cabinet wood flooded the kitchen. I loved staring at the pretty woman I dubbed as the "Strange Orange Lady" on the top of the tea box. Her lips were perfectly red, hair jet black and pinned up, and her lovely outfit mesmerized my young eyes. I wanted to live in her perfect outdoor world with flowers, waterfalls, and orange pagodas in front of the lush countryside greenery. Grandma Warren kept the teabags in perfect condition and I guess that's why it always smelled so good when she'd open that cabinet. Once the teabags were in the cups, she'd start the water on the stove, place a slice of wheat toast in the toaster, and get the applesauce ready.

  It was a simple setup my memory can easily recall. A tablespoon or two of off-brand, sweet applesauce on a triangular slice of perfectly toasted bread, an optional soft-boiled egg with creamy margarine on top, and her trademark "phew" sound to mark a job well done. Before I put my crazy kid hands on her egg timer, it would go off soon after our split egg was done. I guess that's what you'd call an "old timey snack", but I didn't care. She put all of her love and attention into creating a neat plate of healthy food just for me. Once the tea was ready, everything was complete. She sprinkled a tiny bit of sugar into my cup and our simple feast would begin.

  This tradition went on from age five until I turned twelve. When she passed away, I couldn't drink that Orange Mandarin Tea for a long time. About eight years ago, I started drinking it again. The dark, thick tea was like a spicy old citrus friend reminding me of the woman who loved me with all her heart. It helped me to love and appreciate family traditions. It makes me hope that I'll have my own someday with my family. It helped me to heal wounds of sadness through warm, sweet sips of herbal tea. This was our tradition between generations of bonding. I'll always love her for spending precious time with me.