The tough make tea.

'When the going gets tough, the tough make tea'  Helen Forrester, A cuppa tea and an asprin.

This has to be one of my new favourite sayings, maybe this is just because I'm on of the most british people in the country, or because my mother was a massive advocate of tea being a solid foundation on which all of lifes problems could be fixed. Either way, this saying is absolutely true.

My mother battled with cancer for over a year, exceeding every estimate she was given until on april fools day she passed away. At no point during that long fight did any of us stop drinking tea, in fact on that morning it was our first reaction and someone put the kettle on. It's almost an instinct and it doesn't matter wether you actually want to drink it, the mere process of it all and the steaming cup of a comforting brew is enough to ground anyone, no matter the situation.

I can fully understand why the orient make such a big deal out of tea, the ceremony of making, serving and drinking which takes hours must be such a calming experience. I defy anybody to feel any strong emotion whilst making tea, or to not feel it slipping away from them from the first sip.

When I read my mother this line she was laying in a hospital bed in considerable pain yet she just laughed and said she should have that tattooed across her chest, so I know for a fact that it must be true for she was the strongest lady I will ever know and she was never far from a cuppa.

So whenever I need some support, love, direction or help I know that just by making a brew I'll be channeling my mother and that means that I'll be able to overcome anything.

Because the tough make tea.