a cup of tea

A short letter this week

Just a letter this week, and a thank you.

It’s for anyone who sometimes wonders what the point is, and why they’re even here. Maybe you’ve lost a bit of hope along the way. You never really know how the world goes round.

A couple of years ago I saw a post on Facebook from somebody who was really struggling. I messaged him and asked, “Do you want to meet for a cup of tea?” So we did, and we had a chat.

Last night I crashed my chair at home and broke the arm. When I got to it this morning, it needed welding.

You’re probably already ahead of me.

I put it on Facebook, and the man I’d had that cup of tea with two years ago said, “I can do that.” He came up, took the arm away, and brought it back welded. It’s better than it was before. It sits at a better angle now.

And then he thanked me. He said he might not be here if I hadn’t asked him for that cup of tea.

We got talking. He said that sometimes we feel like we’ve lost our worth, our usefulness. And who are we without that?

We ended up talking about the universe. Whatever you believe the universe to be, I just love the word mystery, because I don’t know. What can little old me know about the universe? I think it’s way more mysterious, and way more simple, than we realise or could ever get our heads round.

Now, I don’t want to make out there’s a million monkeys on a million typewriters, all typing up karma scorecards. But it doesn’t hurt to feel there might be some kind of system.

Maybe it’s the way the Buddha saw it, a kind of instant karma. You do something kind and you feel better straight away. Or maybe the universe really is a huge, complicated engine and we’re each a little spark in it. It doesn’t really matter which.

What matters is that what we all do makes a difference. It might not be right this moment. You might never even see the difference it makes. A cup of tea two years ago, and today my chair has its arm back.

Being alive at all is extraordinary, and I don’t think we should play that down. We shouldn’t overplay it either. We can just accept that it’s incredible, and a mystery.

So I’m holding up my mug of tea and saying cheers. To everyone, to you reading this, to the person that triggers us and pushes our buttons, because they, too, show a way. Every little feeling of gratitude makes a difference too.

Much love, Steven

Practice with me

This week’s new episodes will be up on Monday or Tuesday. Until then, a little blast from the past, two older ones on gratitude.

Stillness in the Storms 80, Deep Gratitude: If the Kettle Had Feelings! From January 2023. What would your kettle say about you, if it had feelings? I nearly didn’t record this one after a rough morning, and felt better by the end of it. Gratitude turns what you have into enough. Listen here or on Apple Podcasts.

Inner Peace Meditations 5, Morning Gratitude for Yourself and All. Breathe in appreciation, breathe out thank you. For your body first, then one person, then the everyday things around you, right down to the chair and the cup. About ten minutes, with music underneath. Listen here or on Apple Podcasts.

With gratitude to

Erica, Trish and Ruth, and the anonymous supporters and everyone on Insight Timer. You all keep the podcasts free from adverts.