Tea began as medicine and morphed into a beverage of choice!
I don't quite remember when I fell in love with tea but I do remember the most 
Until recently I had never drank Peppermint Tea made with loose leaves. And Honestly, I will probably never go back. The freshness of loose Peppermint Tea cannot be denied. When I open the can of 
I love to read! Inside a book I escape into someone else's life. There is something wonderful about turning to the next page of a wonderful story. Something intoxicating about the smell of the book and the story it brings to life. Reading brings me joy, and these days with my health in the balance, I find solace in my books.
Like yesterday, a friend of a friend's brother killed himself. He had been battling clinical depression for some time. Oh God, that's the ultimate and my heart was heavy for this family. That is the extreme end of depression. He needed clinical help but said no. And yes, each of us have the right to make a bad decision about themselves, even if it effects others negatively, but man, that's messed up all the way around. But I hope that the family members get the help they need to process the pain.
Over the years I have learned to recognize the signs and I don't stay in denial about shit. I go get help because I don't want a damn thing to take me out of here before my time. Yes, God is in control of life and death, but you can hurry things along with how you use your free will. So back in the fall I was on over load. After four rounds of IV medication and my tummy issues, life was getting way to hard. I started back on antidepressants. I take Zoloft. I take an antidepressant because that brings back into balance that which the depression had knocked out of whack. And yes, it gives me a pick me up and slowly you see the physical side of depressing leaving.
It's like this, white tea contains a compound called L-theanine. It's an amino acid that enters the brain and has shown to reduce different types of stress. It's a natural compound that works much like antidepressants by increasing the serotonin, dopamine, and gamma aminobutyric acid levels in the brain. And guess what, you can drink as much as you want, it's harmless. And white tea has a lower amount of caffeine.
When I opened the bag the smell of grapes jumped out at me. I had to take a double look at the ingredients to see if grape pieces were included. For Real! The rose hip peel, blackcurrents, mallow and cornflower blossoms help to create the perfect taste of White Grape. For about a week I found myself reaching for this White Grape blend for my afternoon tea. This is another winner!! I love ESP because they never just send one tea, they send 3 or 4. Along with White Grape came Macabeo and Sunny Passion, both teas are white/green tea blends which doubles the health benefits. You can take a look at ESP Emporium's other white teas. And remember they will give you a 10% discount, your coupon code is TeaWithRae.
But if you can't shake the blues, move beyond denial and shame and get the help that you need. I said last night that life was worth the living. Yes, life is hard and sometimes it's even harder... But keep holding on. And like one of my twitter followers told me one day when I was at the end of my rope, "Tie a knot and the end of that rope and hang on to the Bitch with dear life."
You never know what tomorrow holds! But I do know who holds tomorrow! God! And God's plan is always bigger than your plan. Think about it. If I had killed myself when I found out I had HIV, or when I was at my lowest point with AIDS, I wouldn't be here to write this blog.
No, there are no quick fixes. But don't deny yourself the things that will help you live better and be a better you!
