GALentine Lady Tea

Tea party fixings for Galentine's Day

Lovers!

As you may recall from my previous post about the One Party Per Month Plan, my goal for 2018 is to have one party or gathering in my home per month.

Now that I have "come out" about my health journey, I can share a bit more candidly that one of the overall woes was the sensation that my life was getting smaller and smaller. It wasn't all bad. It was, in fact, a necessity of sorts—my wonderful little haven of an apartment became a kind of cocoon for restoration even when I felt like I would never get well, catch up, or feel normal again.

Every moment, every thought, every action, literally every thing was focused on just "getting by"—making certain I had the base amount of energetic wherewithal to get from my home to work, and back again. Hopefully without incident.

I did not have the energy to see friends or conventionally socialize, and even if I had, I wouldn't know what to share with them when the inevitable "How have you been" questions. I am grateful all of it, but I sensed a need to break open once more.

I still have my limitations (not to mention my introvert nature!)—and I realized that going from fetal position to CLUBBING ALL NIGHT was not really going to be my trajectory when it came to "getting back out into the world." (Plus, let's be frank: I'm in my thirties, Y'all. I don't "club" as a verb. Ever. And I didn't at any age but that's not even the point.) Anyway! My goal was to open my life, my heart, re-introduce myself to the world again, on my own terms.

The solution?

Use my own wonderful home! The place that has served me so well as a place of healing and womb-like restoration, can now be a place to gather friends old and new. I vow to throw one gathering or party in my home per calendar month for all of 2018. That will force me to vacuum. And buy crudite. And pause Netflix.

February? Amidst the grey skies and frigid temperatures, I thought a bit of bright sunny civility was in order. Why not have a proper ladies-only high tea for Galentine's Day?

In today's environment of seemingly endless hostility, activism and feelings of helplessness, Galentine's Day honestly seemed to be just the self-care day we, and perhaps all, women need.  We dressed up. We are tiiiiiny sandwiches. We drank tea. Above all, it was a time for us to come together to reflect on goals, dreams, accomplishments, life in general, and the work we still need to do as women. It was not-annoying-or-overly-aggressive Feminism. With a side of Darjeeling.

Here's to the ladies who tea.
Everybody Rise.

HOORAY FOR LADIES!