Blest be the Tea that Binds

When I was in elementary school, I had a principal named Mrs. Jones. Every morning, Mrs. Jones would start off our day with a series of announcements, and would always conclude them by saying this: “it can be any kind of day you want, boys and girls, the choice is yours.” This saying has always stuck with me; life is not so much about the way things happen, but about the way that you respond to them. Have you ever had the kind of day when everything is going fine, then one little detail goes awry and seems to ruin everything? Well that’s exactly what I’m talking about. Moments such as these determine the type of people we are and the memories that we make.

I’ll give you an example.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited my first assembly meeting as Grand Worthy Advisor in Haverhill. I had only been to Haverhill on one other occasion for a reception and didn’t really remember the layout of the room, but it was a gorgeous lodge room. The East and the West sides had four small steps leading to a really small step on a platform. I was filling in as Charity and Worthy Associate Advisor, when the time came for me to step down off the platform in the West. There I was, in my Grand Worthy Advisor gown, with my crown on my head and my dignity intact. Then…I fell. Hard. Down the steps. As I went down, I was praying that the crown wouldn’t fall off. I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact and when I opened them, it was just in time to see my crown rolling across the floor. I heard an audible gasp from everyone on the sides and saw my Mom running across the room to help me up. She picked up the crown (which was not damaged) and helped me up. I was also not damaged, except for maybe my dignity. But I continued with my ritual, completed the meeting, and joked about it in my remarks to the assembly.

That experience could have ruined an otherwise perfect day. I could have extrapolated the event and let it define my confidence for the rest of the year. But I decided not to do that. I have decided that having a funny story to tell is better than always having “perfect” days. I also let that story stand as a reminder that I am only human.

Yesterday was my first Grand Officers’ Night of the year. It started off as a very early morning, but I was beyond impressed to see that my Grand Officers and Grand Representatives arrived early for rehearsal and never let it show that they might have been tired. We worked hard during rehearsal to make sure our ritual and floor work were pristine. We re-discovered a truly amazing quality of Grand Officers during our time together, which is our capacity for supporting one another. No matter what happens during a rehearsal (or meeting), we are always able to assist one another and “cover” for one another when we make a mistake. Wouldn’t it be nice if the rest of the world was the same way? Even more importantly, Grand Officers are like ducks: things just roll off their backs. They never let a single moment define their night, which is why I am so proud to be a part of the 2015-2016 Grand Family.

What is the tea selection today? Vanilla Honeybush tea from Teavana in the new tea pot I received as a gift from Wakefield Assembly!