Forever Friendships – Tea and Sisterhood

You can’t have relationships with other people until you give birth to yourself. — Sonia Sanchez

It has taken me almost six years to be able to write this particular post.

Even now my eyes, my memory and my emotions threaten to brim over with a mixture of gratitude, grief and profound joy. I am writing fast before my mind overtakes my hands and I’m unable to capture in words how I feel about these spectacular human beings.

Then again, let the tears fall if it helps my words flow. My friends are worth it all.

(Good Morning, Good Tea People! I am lining up all of my oolongs, black and puerh teas to drink in some liquid courage as I write. Thank you for reading Straight From the Leaf and I welcome all new readers, followers and subscribers. Please prepare yourselves as I will be diving deep into my tea photo archives. It will make more sense as we go along.)

I marvel at how certain people cross our paths, become our friends, and make our lives richer for having met them.

Friendship is a gift.

Friendship feels like a fine oolong tea tastes: it is nuanced, growing deeper as time passes. For every infusion, it increases in flavor and complexity. It lingers on the palate and its aftertaste lets you know that you experienced something uniquely marvelous. Every sip improves your overall sense perception.

Trust me, I know an excellent oolong when I taste one.

The Tea Sisters

This is the story of The Tea Sisters, Black women who bonded over the love of the leaf. These same women have traveled the world, owned and operated tea businesses, managed households and organizations, and still find ways to be phenomenal human beings.

Erica Morrison and the Tea Fields Café

Erica Morrison owned and operated Tea Fields Café in Englewood, NJ for five years! I witnessed her daily commitment to sustain a space so welcoming that coffee drinkers were converted to tea. Her extensive tea selection was second to none because she actually studied tea and we her customers appreciated the difference.

Erica finds a way to make good things happen despite the odds stacked against her. It will be excellent or it won’t be done by her. She works hard and plays harder. She deserves all the beauty that this world can offer.

Tea type of friend: Erica reminds me of a bold, rich, full-bodied Keemun black (red) tea. She is the friend that will say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done. She is also one who brings stability to previously chaotic spaces. Erica deserves all the beauty this world can offer — and I don’t doubt that she will.

Jo Johnson and A Gift of Tea

Jo Johnson is the living embodiment of the word “gift”.

Jo’s presence transforms every space she enters. Her creativity is even more striking than her appearance. Jo’s creativity is birthed from her beautiful soul.

Jo fearlessly supports and promotes others in their creative pursuits, whether it is a book launch, a dance performance premiere, a restaurant opening, or making the specialty tea industry respect tea bloggers. Jo is a specialty tea industry pioneer.

Jo shows up — on time and in style — every time.

Jo refuses to let her friends make excuses. For example, Jo was hosting a tea event promoting someone else’s book. She asked me to read one of my poems at this event. I politely declined her request, explaining that I didn’t want to offend the featured guest which I thought was a valid enough reason. Jo reminded me that she was the event hostess, in charge of the program, and would take responsibility for any perceived slight.

This firm yet loving nudge from my sister friend caused me to reconsider the request. My friends know that I’d rather not be in the spotlight. Sometimes your friends are the ones to turn the light on you.

This time I listened.

I did read my poem that afternoon as Jo requested. That one reading eventually led to my sharing that poem and others with more than 12 diplomats representing African nations.

(Good Tea People, surround yourself with likeminded people who will motivate you to do more, be more, and are willing to help. Likewise, encourage them to see themselves as the bright lights they are.)

Tea type of friend: Jo is like a Bancha green tea. Bancha is not an ordinary green tea: it is extraordinary because its maturity has given it a flavor all its own. Jo is the friend who demonstrates there is no expiration date on being fine and fabulous.

Darlene Meyers Perry and The Tea Lovers’ Archives

Keep it moving. — Darlene Meyers Perry

Darlene Meyers Perry lived her life as though every day would be her last.

Darlene is the friend who encouraged me to study Mandarin at the Confucius Institute for Business, a partnership between Nanjing University of Finance and Economics and SUNY Levin Institute. We laughed so much when we would go to Chinatown and practice our pronunciation — and consume lots of dim sum.

(Who didn’t know that I studied Mandarin and other languages?! That’s true: I often do things without advertising what I’m doing. I get more done this way. Unfortunately, The Confucius Institute of Business’ funding was discontinued in 2014. The good news is that tea culture lives on in many tea producing nations and the opportunity to learn never dies.)

As a Mid-Atlantic Tea Business Association (MATBA) officer, Darlene organized tea tours to bring business to fellow tea business owners. In addition, Darlene and Jo traveled together to Taiwan and Japan and established connections with local farmers.

They persevered through the industry politics to amplify voices which were previously muted and/or ignored. We did so without caring who credited us.

As we see, we still have the cups, the timestamps, and the receipts.

These Tea Sisters made it their business to see the people behind the tea leaf. My friends understand that tea is more than a trend. Tea is a way of life that deserves respect and appreciation.

I appreciate every gift that they would bring me back if I was unable to make the trip.

Darlene believed in the power of tea as a way to connect people.

Her legacy lives on with everyone who ever connected with her.

Tea type of friend: Darlene reminds me most of a delicate white tea because although she was plucked from us early, the aroma of her life lingers.

Cups Up Conclusions

My cup runneth over in friendships forged over sharing a cup of tea.

This is my attempt to capture in one post more than a century worth of tea industry experience. My Tea Sisters are powerful and humble people. We have nothing to prove to anyone: our tea credentials are solid and have outlived the original organizations.

We still love the tea leaf.

I am exercising my right here to thank them publicly for how they have shown up as friends for me. They are not my only friends — within the tea industry or outside of it — yet they are among my staunchest supporters. They are friends worth celebrating.

What type of tea friend am I? That’s a question for my friends to answer. In fact, I am moving towards my tea kettle now so I don’t hear what they say.

Raised cup salute to The Tea Sisters, lasting friendships, and more great tea conversation!

#DrinkTea #Sisterhood