TALENT AND TEA PARTY

Last week I hosted a Talent and Tea party.  I used tea cups collected and passed on to me by my mother. She felt close at the tea, and I knew she would have loved to have been a participant in our merry making.

There were foods savory and sweet along with a variety of teas.  My friends would have been happy to spend all their time together in animated conversation; however, since I had promised "talent" as well as tea, I felt honor bound to make way for the talent.  (Friends had asked, "Who is the talent?" to which I replied, "You and I, we are the talent!")

One after another, we offered up our surprises. One friend read an article, from 40 years ago, about Thomas Edison.  (We talked about the "non-monument" Edison and exclaimed at the excellence of the writing.)   Another read aloud the book, Good Night, iPad (by Ann Droyd)!  Still another read a piece she had written entitled, "Rain."  When she finished, one of those present said, "I feel wet."  It was a feeling shared by all of us.   Someone else read a piece of doggerel written in the taxi on the way to tea.  Another friend cited her biscotti as her talent and all of us applauded.  Another identified stupefying articles from the day's newspaper, articles that left us a bit slack-jawed.  I recited a monologue, "Advice for Beginners," by Ellen Kort.  "Begin.  Keep on beginning.  Nibble on everything. . . ."

With all of it, there was lots of laughter and good cheer.  Later, someone described the tea as "sedate and fun" and another spoke of the "sheer inventiveness of the talent."  

Since the tea party, I have reflected on the importance of creating a space for the sharing of "talent" in a new and engaging manner.  The Talent and Tea party was still another way to celebrate and enjoy the many different--and splendid--facets of friends.  

 

Comments

[Pika]

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