Last night after work and other jobs I stopped at my brother’s house to drop off a book. I wasn’t going to stay long. But two little boys were in the tub, and the youngest one was being fed, and my brother and I stood in the kitchen and chatted. Then I helped myself to a muffin and had to tell the bathed boys ‘hi’ before I left. Which turned out to be drying them and putting pj’s on the middle one.

When the oldest one, age four, asked “Do you want a cup of tea?” I wasn’t going to accept, but then, how could I refuse? So my brother made us lovely fresh mint tea, and he and his wife sat at the table with me to drink it while three little boys rotated on and off our laps. We didn’t solve all the world’s problems, but they gave me wise words and perspective that I needed. Finally, I tumbled the littlest Cuddle Bug into his daddy’s lap and left the warm circle of their dining room light.

When I left, it was 9:00. Being a Saturday night, I’m sure they had umpteen things to do that didn’t include sitting and drinking tea with a sister and auntie. In the next month, they plan to move an hour away. In a few months, I plan to move to another country. The times I can drop in on them after work are going to be limited. But the rarity of the event was only part of the value to me. My brother put mint leaves in the cup, but an Alchemist was working because when I drank it, I found comfort and love.