Winter. Usually, where I live, winter means cold weather. Lately, though, it has meant rain and mild temperatures. It doesn’t seem like January at all. I assume that pretty soon, Old Man Winter will wake up and blow frosty temperatures our way that will make me want to huddle in my thick cushy robe to keep the chill at bay.
Although I don’t like to be cold, I think part of the beauty of winter is a chill in the air. When I walk outside, it should feel like winter—temperatures that require multiple layers and accessories: a coat, scarf, and gloves that are thick enough to make it hard to grip the steering wheel, not to mention a tube of lipstick.
At the risk of sounding like a complete imbecile, let me confess that I have only recently discovered the power of a hot cup of something to warm you up from the inside.
Now, lest you scoff, let me say that I grew up despising all drinks that steamed rather than sweated. As a child, my beverages of choice were grape Kool-Aid, chocolate milk made with Quik mix, iced tea because that was the only cold drink available at church picnics, and my all-time favorite, the most celebrated drink in the South: Coca-Cola. I can still picture my granddaddy sharing his frosty bottle of Coke with me on the carport when he and Daisy, my grandmother, came to visit us.
Now, I ask you, with cold drinks like these readily available in our home, why would I ever need or want to drink something hot? Something that would cook my tongue to a crisp before burning my throat on the way down to my unsuspecting stomach? Even hot cider and hot chocolate could rarely tempt me. I resolved then to stick with the cold stuff.
Ah, but what about coffee? you might ask. Doesn’t everyone love coffee? Not me, I’m afraid. I have tried it a handful of times in my life but confess that I am at a loss to understand the attraction. My parents were big coffee drinkers from way back. My sister, my husband, and now even my own daughter loves it. And I have plenty of friends who can’t contemplate life without coffee.
But while I dislike the taste of it, I can be transported by just the smell of it. To walk into a coffee shop is to walk into another world full of rich fragrance to savor unhurried. My senses come alive. If I close my eyes, I can picture a far-off exotic land full of coffee that actually tastes as good as it smells. I don't think that land exists on earth but maybe it will in heaven.
When a friend discovered my intense distaste for it, she said, "Let me make you a cup. I know you'll like my coffee." I was skeptical but gave her the benefit of the doubt. She filled the cup with the steaming dark brew, poured in a white cloud of milk, and measured out just the right amount of sugar. Stirring it with a flourish, she handed it to me with a self-confident nod.
No pressure.
I tried it, taking several sips with pauses in between like a wine connoisseur. “Hmm,” I mumbled. “Hmm,” I murmured. But inside I was thinking, yuck yuck yuck! Finally, I thanked her and said that coffee just wasn’t my cup of tea.
Even though I grew up on iced tea, the leap to hot tea was nearly impossible. Flavors with names like Christmas Eve, Vanilla Chai, Candy Cane, and Earl Grey lured me, but it wasn’t until we were on vacation a few years ago that I really came to love it. Every morning, I would have Harney & Sons English Breakfast with breakfast. It actually tasted good, and with the help of a little cream, I learned the delicate art of not burning my tongue.
Now I have hot tea at home in the morning, at Starbucks, and anywhere else that offers a good black tea. And if I am with a friend, a simple cup of something warm becomes an occasion. The tea and the time with my friend warm me from the inside out.
And if it’s cold outside, I can peel off my Michelin-Man gloves and loosen the six-foot long scarf from around my neck. Pretty soon, the feeling starts returning to numb fingers and toes. A few sips more and I'm feeling rather cozy and toasty and benevolent toward the season of winter—why, being cold is not so bad after all.
And then I think, hmm, this hot drink thing just might catch on.
What’s your favorite hot drink? What did you like to drink as a child? I’m curious, so let me know!
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