what's in a cup of tea? by Sam Chao (16, Maryland)

what’s in a cup of tea? is it the discolored mosaic of tea leaves that lay at the bottom? is it the sensational warmth you feel as the soothing liquid sails on your tongue? the ember that burns brightly on a cold, wintry day? is it your remedy? the herbal serum that heals your soul? no, my cup of tea is different.

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my cup of tea is a reminder. a mnemonic for family. as i sip the piping hot fluid, i reminisce of our family’s lively congregations and dinner summits. i think of grandma as i heat my hands on my brown mug. i remember watching her scoop out three spoonfuls of oolong tea leaves into our flowery teapot, initiating her sacred tea-making ritual. She orbited the teapot in tight circles for no more than two minutes, then two minutes flat the next time, and three minutes the next. i would observe in anticipation as the tea soared gracefully through the air and into my cup. perfection -- a flawlessly prepared cup. 

my cup of tea is my comfort. it is a vessel that returns me to my childhood home when i am far away. it brings me to a time of powerful family connection when Saturday lunches were had and followed by hours at the makeshift mahjong table. the emergence of our miniscule teapot marked the transition between lunch and mahjong time. the brewing of tea was a symbol. in times past, our family gatherings consisted of the meal and nothing but the meal. my family would depart soon after finishing whatever cuisine we were having that day. but the appearance of that floral teapot meant that our convening was more than just a monotonous habit or an awkward business dinner between unfamiliar coworkers. it meant the potential for priceless memories for the future, countless laughs shared over mahjong and tea, and the opportunity for trivial conversations that meant nothing other than the fact that we were connecting. 

in that time, tea became the activation energy in our family’s chemical reaction. it was our binding agent -- what brought us closer together. between our hectic lives and other priorities, tea was our reprieve. it was our escape from the real world and the excuse that allowed us to sit and just talk for a while. those were the greatest days of my life. and so when i look into my cup of tea, i see the invaluable time i spent with my family. 

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