Time for Tea and Friends

Time is
Too Slow for those who Wait,
Too Swift for those who Fear,
Too Long for those who Grieve,
Too Short for those who Rejoice,
But for those who Love,
Time is not.

Henry Van Dyke Jr., American author and clergyman (1852–1933) in Music and Other Poems

Along with our pot of Buckingham Palace Garden Party tea, the server presented an hourglass timer. Its purpose may have been to ensure a proper steep for the tea leaves, but its presence on the table created a stillness. While its purpose may have been to mark time, it also seemed to slow time. We friends chatted contentedly over our (numerous) cups of tea without any sense of time.

As Van Dyke wisely understood, when you are with those you love, time does not exist. And I treasure time spent with friends.