Matcha Girl - SueAnne Sopko

I first met SueAnne while attending American University in Washington DC. While unpacking my things in my single room, I threw a box into the hallway, only to hear someone scream. I ran into the hallway and noticed a short girl with a box on her head. We've been friends ever since. In reconnecting with her all these years later, I learned that she's a Tea lover like myself. She's now my Teapot Buyer (no joke!), and she's given me much in the ways of friendship, Tea lifestyle understanding, and sound advice. 

Enjoy her words and perhaps you too will join the ways of the Matcha:

I recently realized that some of my earliest and fondest memories as a child are of drinking tea with my Baba at her kitchen table. If something were wrong - a skinned knee, a bad dream, an argument with my sisters - we would share a cup of hot tea and discuss it all until I felt ready to conquer the world again.

In 2011, as a recently divorced mom waiting for my disability claim to be approved, I found myself in a dark place emotionally, mentally, and physically. I have interstitial cystitis - a chronic bladder condition that causes pain equivalent to late stage renal failure. I was searching for some peace and meaning in life, and without realizing it at the time, I found it through matcha green tea.

Late one sleepless night, I came across an article about matcha green tea. It was an interesting yet short article, so I googled it to learn more. The more I read about the tradition and ceremony of matcha, the more intrigued I became. I found a cheap matcha starter set on Amazon along with a mid grade but affordable bag of tea, and my matcha journey began.

When it arrived, I was so anxious to finally experience matcha tea that I used water that was far too hot and fumbled through the process - but that first sip... I finally understood why everything I'd read had discussed patience and savoring the moment. For the next cup I made, I laid out all of my tea accoutrements in preparation. I didn't boil the water... I warmed the chawan (tea bowl) before carefully scooping with my chashaku (tea spoon) and sifting the matcha into the now warm chawan... I whisked the matcha into frothy perfection with my chasen (bamboo whisk)... And then I sat down in a quiet room to enjoy it. Over the next few months, I looked forward to my "matcha therapy" every day.

As I sipped slowly on the green, frothy tea, I researched the history of Japanese tea which led me to Buddhism and tea ceremonies steeped in one thousand years of culture and history. With each cup, I read more about enlightenment and The Way of Tea. While reading, I came across a quote that finally made sense of it all for me...

    "It (Teaism) inculcates purity and harmony, the mystery of mutual charity, the romanticism of the social order. It is essentially a worship of the Imperfect, as it is a tender attempt to accomplish something possible in this impossible thing we know as life."  (The Book of Tea, Okakura Kakuzō)

The Japanese tea ceremony, also called The Way of Tea, was centered around appreciating and accepting the imperfection of the world and ourselves. I had been so focused on what my illness had taken from me that I became genuinely lost. Drinking matcha green tea led me to understanding that my imperfections have not ruined my life but have led me to discovering a deeper appreciation for all imperfections - in myself and others. 

In the years since I began drinking matcha green tea, I have found my inner strength again. I have embraced Buddhism, which has given me more patience and empathy in life. I look forward to my "matcha therapy" as a time to refocus my limited energy on what truly matters. On the days when the stress wins, I remind myself to slow down over a cup of matcha. In a way, I've come full circle from those early years with my Baba - tea is the connecting force that keeps me centered and ready to face the world.