Susan LaffertyPause in the afternoon.
Fix a small teapot of darjeeling. Or steep ginger herbal tea in porcelain cups.
The simple cultural practice learned in other lands remains in my life today.
Taking time. Away from chores and computer and concerns. Sitting quietly or visiting with a friend.
Daily pause. To breathe.
Simple shelter. Close quarters with eclectic decor. Spare furnishings.
She welcomes us in. And starts the fire on a small charcoal stove. Takes her sauce pan and pours in the green coffee beans, newly washed.
And so it begins.
The slow, deliberate way of an Ethiopian coffee ceremony.
Traditional hospitality. With laughter. And conversation about life.
Daily and eternal.
Arrivals and departures. Travel patterns of individuals. Families. Groups.
People of various languages and cultures and ethnicities. In the ebb and flow through airports.
Walking the halls. Rushing from one terminal to another.
Or sitting. Wandering. Sleeping.
While they wait.
