My second longest relationship is over.
The feelings are still raw as I write this but deep down I know I will be okay.
This morning after pouring hot water into my favourite blue mug, I walked away to let the brewing magic happen. When I returned, there was a large puddle on the counter and even dripping onto the floor? WTF? Did I miss the cup on my pour?
I lifted up the mug to investigate and there it was. A thin fracture throughout the entire mug. The cause of a slow leak. The end of a beautiful and lasting relationship.For those who know me, I am pretty particular about my tea habits, which includes the mug I drink it in. I have been using the same mug at 95% capacity for over a decade. In fact if I work back in time, I can pinpoint it to just after I met Katie. Yep, like I said, the second longest relationship I have ever had.
What a great mug. The colour was playful with subtle spots covering the outside. The shape was ideal. It kept the temperature just right. You see, I love hot drinks really hot. This mug did the trick.
If I had to ballpark a figure, I have probably had over 9,000 cups of tea in that mug. That’s a lot of boiled water flowing in and out. Since the mug worked fine last night and there were no drops, I can only conclude that the final pour of boiling water this morning was the end. A crack. A break from top to bottom just big enough to allow leakage.
Back in Halifax enjoying a mo-tea-toe.
I know it’s just a mug. But it was my mug. It was my go-to mug for all the good, bad, comforting and routine cups of tea I have enjoyed.
That mug survived moving from Toronto to Halifax and back again. That mug has survived thousands of delicate hand washes and runs through the dishwasher (when I let it). You see, I tended to keep my mug from the dishwasher as I liked it to be at the ready when needed. I did not want it mixing with the other dirty cups.
I do have back up mugs. But they are not the same. People call me crazy but tea does taste different in different mugs. The two I have to use now are large and hold heat, but they are just not the same.
I guess it’s time to find a new mug for the next several years. Can I just get a new one and continue as is? Maybe?
Maybe it was time to start fresh. Enjoy new experiences and give over to a new way to enjoy my favourite drink.
Maybe it is a sign that with Father’s Day coming up, a mug is the perfect gift? Who knows.
All I know is the next cup of tea later on will be a battle. I would not be surprised if I take a boat ride down the denial and try to use the blue mug again. What’s a few drips right?
For the conspiracy theorist in me, maybe I have been had. Maybe someone broke into our house over night and lightly hit my mug with a hammer juts to crack it enough so I would not notice? Who dislikes me that much?
I guess the boiling water finally causing the crack is much more realistic theory to go with.
Hmmmm, maybe I will never know.
So now what? Does the mug go into the recycle bin? All those memories tossed?
I drank out of that cup when I was wondering if Katie would email me back after a first day.
The cup got me through two little kids and many long nights.
That mug pulled me through so many ups and downs in my life. Small in size, big in presence.
For all of us out there who love to stick to our routines, the mug we drink our coffee or tea out of is a big one.
Today, I have to start new and learn to love a new mug and connect new memories to it.
Time to go boil some water and take the first pour on a new adventure.
Thanks for listening to my insanity.
