One if by Land; Two if by Tea.

Ok, so maybe the French and the English haven't had the best of relationships in the past. You might recall our little real estate squabble back in the eighteenth century (also known as the French and Indian War). But I think I finally know why we French have never gotten along that well with the English. It's because of tea.

Yes, tea. The English have been holding out on us. Those clever American colonists figured it out before the French did and instituted the first American tea party (remember the Boston Tea Party?). With so much French blood coursing through my veins, it's not surprising that I wasn't privy to the joys and benefits of tea parties before now.

My friend Michele introduced me to her "tea list," an online group of women who love all things tea, and my interest was sparked. What they were talking about here wasn't heating some water, throwing in a bag of tea, and enjoying a hot beverage. It went much further than that. It was something emotionally fulfilling, a refreshing pause to the day.

Teatime fills a need for peace in our stressed-out society. Not only that, but the manner in which you "take tea" lifts the spirits and fills the senses with beauty. Everything about tea time contributes in some small way to this: beautiful tea linens, gorgeous china, luscious tea, delicious tea biscuit's or cookies (or other even more scrumptious treats). Teatime "for the soul" can be compared to dropping everything to spend a few stolen moments in a beautiful garden.

I've never been much of a tea lover (my French genes notwithstanding), but I decided to give "teatime" a try. I'm not sure how it works. Maybe it's the special feeling you get from using the pretty teapot and china on yourself for a change. Maybe it's the ritual of preparing the tea, boiling the water, smelling the aroma of the tea as you measure it out, the rhythm of the procedure that won't be hurried. But teatime really is all they say it is.

Among herbal teas,(*) also called tisanes, there are a great many varieties. The only way to discover which you like is to try them. Many herbal teas need no sweeteners, so try them alone first. If you want to avoid the empty calories of sugar or honey, try the herb stevia (in tincture form--go easy; eight drops is enough for me). Brewing herbal tea is easy once you know how. You can find instructions in any tea book or in many places online. Don't be intimidated. Once you know how to do it the act of brewing the tea is part of the fun.

I've now hosted elaborate teas for my mom and sisters and mopped up after teddy bear teas with my children. I've brewed a cup for a friend and often just for myself. I will offer one tip for stress-free teatime with young children: save the fancy tea towels for when you're alone or with grown-up company. Or you'll spend 10 minutes of frenzied scrubbing trying to get out the quickly drying stains in the tea towel your friend hand-carried back from Switzerland.

Take a little time for yourself this week and discover teatime, the pause that refreshes. Then thank the English. They were right all along. C'est la vie.

(*) Note: Green, black, and oolong tea all contain caffeine. Herbal teas do not.

Celeste perrino Walker enjoys (herbal) teatime with her family and friends at her home in Rutland, Vermont.