WATWB: Longreads Candace Rardon

Posted on August 24, 2017 by dkatiepowellart

A celebration of creativity to lift us. One thing that I think soothes the soul
is taking the time to drop into something wonderful and say “ah!”

We are all searching for “home”.  It is not 500 words (oops) but sometimes to find peace
you have to give it more than a nanosecond.
From the people at Longreads (I support financially)
and the wonderful Candace Rardon.
Sit for the read….

Home is a Cup of Tea

Sketch artist and writer Candace Rose Rardon tells the story of her search for home through the different teas she has discovered while traveling.

All illustrations by Candace Rose Rardon
This story was funded by Longreads Members
Join and help support great storytelling

Candace Rose Rardon | Longreads | July 2017 | 10 minutes (2,882 words)

Let’s play a game. It’s called, “Being You, Right Now.” Perhaps you’re reading this on your way to work, defending your corner of the train with a well-placed elbow. Or are you at home? If so, please, put the kettle on. Yes, right now. I’ll wait.
The thing is, this story goes really well with tea — be it ginger, Moroccan mint, or Assam. Okay, back? Ready to continue? Now — take a long, slow look around you. Is it the home you once envisioned for yourself?
Well, maybe that’s a bit deep. We are only getting started here. Let’s begin with something a bit easier — like, bookshelves. Are there bookshelves? How about windows? Is there a fire crackling in a wood-burning stove? I’ve always wanted my own wood-burning stove. Nothing quite compares to the scents of cedar and woodsmoke wafting through the air. The story you’re reading right now is the story of how I came to find, and redefine, home. As you read along — at home or on the train, but always, I hope, with a cup of tea in hand — perhaps you’ll feel compelled to do the same. For the next few minutes, take everything you thought home was or should be and put it on hold. The results just might surprise you.

I was born in the state of Virginia, where my parents had also lived since they were children. We moved only once in my childhood, into the house my dad built for us when I was 7. There, on Cedar Creek Lane, home was family dinners around the worn kitchen table. Home was the wood-burning fireplace in our living room.Home was the pot of English breakfast tea my mother always had brewing, and the tea chest she kept by the stove. I loved dreaming of the home I would have one day — the family dinners I would host and the cups of tea I would serve. But at the same time, a part of me wanted to see the world. So after graduating from college, I decided to live abroad for a while, beginning with six months in England.

Go make yourself a cup of tea
and enjoy the rest of this read…

☾

There are more stories like this out there.
You have to open your eyes and heart.

☾

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the hashtag #WATWB.

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About dkatiepowellart

hollywood baby turned beach gurl turned steel&glass city gurl turned cowgurl turned herb gurl turned green city gurl. . . artist writer photographer. . . cat lover but misses our big dogs, gone to heaven. . . buddhist and interested in the study of spiritual traditions. . . foodie, organic, lover of all things mik, partner in conservation business mpfconservation, consummate blogger, making a dream happen, insomniac who is either reading buddhist teachings or not-so-bloody mysteries or autobio journal thangs early in the morning when i can't sleep
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19 Responses to WATWB: Longreads Candace Rardon

  1. Peter Nena says:
    August 25, 2017 at 10:09 am

    Home is unequalled. Thank you, Kate.

    Like

    Reply
  2. BWitzenhausen says:
    August 25, 2017 at 6:07 pm

    Great story! Thanks so much for sharing! #WATWB

    Like

    Reply
  3. Deborah Weber says:
    August 25, 2017 at 8:56 pm

    What a lovely share Kate! Such a wonderful story. Longreads is a real treasure, and I think the invitation to take more than 15 seconds to read something is a much needed encouragement these days. Slow time helps build the path to serenity, and I think we could all use more of that.

    Like

    Reply
  4. bikerchick57 says:
    August 25, 2017 at 9:09 pm

    It’s so very interesting how tea kept bringing this writer back home. Don’t we all have that one something that always reminds us of home, no matter where we are? Thanks for sharing this, Katie, it was an excellent read. And thanks for participating in #WATWB this month. 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  5. Damyanti Biswas says:
    August 26, 2017 at 8:08 am

    This is a very sweet story, Kate. Thanks for sharing.

    Like

    Reply
  6. Michelle Wallace (@mishy1727) says:
    August 26, 2017 at 9:23 am

    I have to start off by answering the questions at the beginning (even though they are rhetorical…)
    Am I at home? Yes.
    Off to put the kettle on…
    I love the idea of mint/ assam tea…I’ve never tasted either one…
    Looking around slowly…Bookshelves? Yes. Windows? Yes. Wood-burning stove? No.

    Have to say that I LOVE the way this post is unfolding… ❤
    …off to get the tea and read the rest…

    Like

    Reply
  7. Emily Bloomquist says:
    August 26, 2017 at 3:29 pm

    Loved that story! Thanks for sharing it, Kate.

    Like

    Reply

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