Thanksgiving Reflections: Same Tea, Different Steeps

This excerpt comes from my blog/newsletter titled The Steeping Chronicles. It contains a SWEET side and a REAL side of every edition. This entry is from the REAL side.

Thanksgiving is here, and while I’d love to enthusiastically shout, “Yay! Thanksgiving is here!” it usually comes out more like, “Great, Thanksgiving is here,” accompanied by an eye roll. Despite being a fully grown adult with five children, I somehow still find myself in the same yearly debate with my mom about why I don’t want to travel “back home” for Thanksgiving.

Sure, I love seeing my extended family—but what do I dread? The logistics. Navigating when to hit the road to avoid turning a 10-hour drive into an even longer ordeal during peak travel chaos. Giving up the rare chance to simply sit still and recharge from my already busy life. Budgeting an extra $1,000 (or more!) for transportation costs because I have a big family. And, of course, those awkward moments of standing in a room with people I’ve never met, only to hear someone insist they’re “family.” After everything my children and I have endured, staying home sounds like the better option.

But mom is mom. Even though she used to say the Thanksgiving debate would end after Grandmom passed because “you never know when it will be her last,” here we are, having the same conversation yet again.

Despite my personal feelings about Thanksgiving travel, I am choosing to reflect with gratitude this year. I am thankful to be in a much better mental space than I was during previous holidays. I remember Thanksgivings when life felt unbearable—when complications from divorce, financial struggles, and battles with the legal system left me dreading questions like, “So, what are you up to these days, Erica?”

One year, that simple question broke me. I cried my way through the entire season. But family, in their own unique way, can help us heal—and mine has. This year, I am grateful for how far I’ve come. The weight of life is no longer crushing me. Instead, I feel lighter, stronger, and filled with dreams and triumphs to share.

This will also be my first year traveling with my tea blends. My prepackaged loose-leaf teas are my saving grace—no mess, no fuss, just a warm cup of comfort wherever I go. So, when I sit with Aunt Pat this year, reflecting on life’s journey, we’ll sip tea together. Each sip will remind me of my own message: however this brew comes out—bitter, sweet, bold, or weak—it’s up to me. The same tea can create different experiences, depending on the steep.

This Thanksgiving, I’m choosing gratitude and reflection, letting life steep into something warm and comforting.