The Book of Tea

My friend’s son Jack always makes me think and exposes me to new ideas. Recently he had marked a chapter in The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo, set it in front of me and said, “Here. I think you might enjoy this”. He was correct. An excerpt:

“In joy or sadness, flowers are our constant friends. We eat, drink, sing, dance, and flirt with them. We wed and christen with flowers. We dare not die without them. We have worshipped with the lily, we have meditated with the lotus, we have charged in battle array with the rose and chrysanthemum. We have even attempted to speak in the language of flowers. How could we live without them? It frightens one to conceive of a world bereft of their presence. What solace do they not bring to the bedside of the sick, what a light of bliss to the darkness of weary spirits? Their serene tenderness restores to us our waning confidence in the universe even as the intent gaze of a beautiful child recalls out lost hopes. When we are laid low in the dust it is they who linger in sorrow over our graves.”

Flowers are cool, and so is my friend Jack.