February has always felt like a softer month to me.
The rush of January fades. The days are still quiet. The pace slows just enough that small comforts begin to matter more. It’s the time of year when I naturally start leaning into rituals — the little things that make life feel steady, grounded, and intentional.
One of those rituals has been with me for more than fifty years. Tea became one of the first ways I learned to slow down and actually notice my life.
And it started in a tiny bakery in Paris.
A Croissant, A Cup of Tea, and a New Beginning
After finishing college, I found myself working at the United Nations . . . in Paris! Yes, I pinched myself every morning, and for months I was convinced I was dreaming.
Every day on my way to work, I stopped at the bakery near my apartment. The routine became almost sacred — a warm croissant and a calming cup of tea before starting my day.
“Bonjour Mademoiselle, un croissant?” the lovely woman behind the counter would sing out as soon as she saw me walk in.
“Oui madame . . . et un thé vert,” (a green tea) I’d reply.
The funny part? I had never tasted green tea before. I’d barely even heard of it. In my family, mornings meant black coffee, no exceptions. But I noticed a young woman ordering just ahead of me — “Un croissant,” she said, followed by “Et un thé vert.” So I thought, when in Paris . . .
The croissant was flaky and heavenly. The tea was warm and soothing in a way I hadn’t expected. Something about that pairing — the quiet of the morning, the gentle hum of the bakery, the steam rising from the cup — settled me before the day began asking things of me.
I didn’t know it at the time, but that simple stop at a Paris bakery for a cup of calming green tea would become the beginning of a lifelong ritual.
From Habit to Ritual
From that first morning in Paris until today, my mornings have started with tea.
The croissant had to go eventually (my waistline has opinions now), but the tea stayed. What began as imitation became intention. What started as curiosity became comfort.
I didn’t fall in love with tea because it was green. The color never mattered. I fell in love with the pause.
Tea gave me a moment before the world rushed in. A space to wake up gently. A small act of care that belonged only to me. And over the years, that quiet cup expanded beyond mornings and into afternoons that needed grounding and evenings that called for calm.
Looking back, I see that tea was never just a drink. It was my first daily ritual of slowing down.
Why I’m Sharing Tea With You This Month
Maybe that’s why tea still feels so meaningful to me all these years later.
This February, I’m sharing a month of tea moments, not as prescriptions, not as promises, and definitely not as “miracle fixes.” Instead, I see them as gentle invitations.
Invitations to pause. To notice. To build small rituals that support your well-being in ways that feel nourishing and realistic. Just like gentle movement, small daily rituals support long-term wellbeing.
Some teas may feel calming. Others refreshing. Some may simply give you a reason to sit down for five minutes and breathe. And honestly? That alone can be powerful.
I’ve learned that it’s rarely the big, dramatic changes that carry us through life’s seasons. It’s the quiet, steady habits, the ones we return to again and again, that shape how we feel in our own skin.
For me, that habit has often come in the form of a warm cup, held between my hands.
A Ritual That Grows With You
What I love most about tea is that it grows with us.
In my twenties, a cup of calming tea was a morning comfort before navigating a new city and a new career. Later, it became an anchor during busy years of family, work, and constant motion. Now, it feels like a companion to reflection, balance, and honoring where I am in this stage of life.
The cup changes. The tea changes. But the ritual . . . the pause . . . remains.
And that’s what this series is really about.
Not just tea. But the practice of creating small, meaningful moments that remind us we’re allowed to slow down and savor where we are.
A Gentle Invitation
As this month unfolds, I hope you’ll find your own version of a daily pause, whether it’s tea, a walk around the block, journaling for a few minutes, or simply sitting by the window with your thoughts. And for ideas on low impact exercise, which has also become a ritual for me, take a look at my blog “13 Ideas for Effective Low-Impact Exercise — Without the Gym“.
These small rituals don’t change the world overnight. But they do change how we move through it. And at this stage of life, that feels like a beautiful place to begin.
Here’s to slowing down, sipping slowly, and honoring the quiet moments that carry us forward.
Please be sure to check out my 30 day tea series – “A Month of Tea and Gentle Living” beginning February 2 on Instagram and Facebook.
Until next time, keep . . .
