The Island

I just wanted a cup of tea.
Seems such a simple thing to ask of a day, doesn't it?
Now I suppose I must clarify that a cup of tea, to me, is much more than a beverage.
It's a destination.
It's my "island of peace in a turbulent sea".
My pink teapot, my Czechoslovakian teacup, my Ironstone cream and sugar set, these are my island scenery. My Bible, my journal, are my sun and sand.
But there were "miles to go before I rest" and I knew that those miles included children.
The first wind to blow me off course came from Grant. We were doing our customary Monday Laundry (believe me, it should be capitalized when you only do it once a week), when Grant asked, "Can you be a girl and a boy at the same time?"
 I always try to understand where they are coming from with these types of questions before I jump in and answer, so I said, "What makes you ask that?"
"Well, God is neither male or female and we're made in His image, so why are we one or the other?"
I wildly threw open every file in my mind even vaguely related to this subject and laundry was suspended while I explained the sovereignty of God, the implication of "made in His image", and finally a little info on testosterone and estrogen and how some women have beards but that's not normal. Avonlea threw in some helpful information about soy
He said, "Oh, okay."
End of conversation, but it lasted quite awhile, and now I was off course.
Bible came next. Our passage this week was about the "Man of Lawlessness." Neither of the kids had heard of that term and we began discussing the anti-Christ.
I'm not going to record that conversation here, because it was long and because it ended with Avonlea drawing a picture of him (entitled Son of Satan) and ripping it to pieces in a symbolic rage.
When we were done with Bible it was 9:30a.m. and I was exhausted.
Rowan's school work came next and was relatively painless.
Posy was next and she made me cry. Which made her cry. Which made us both apologize without really knowing what for. She tried to cheer me up by saying, "How about I try reading again in a couple of years." She might have something there.
I went up to make lunch. I was back on course and I could see the waves lapping at the shore of my island, but I couldn't hear them because Avonlea was practicing all her instruments.
After lunch came gales from friends. Phone calls that left me thinking, news that left me perplexed. I prepared my tea in quiet while the kids played outside.
Rosy came in from playing outside to change because, "I tried to potty behind a tree, like Rowan does, but I missed."
I nodded absently, it was too late, I had made my tea. I could smell the black leaves infiltrated with honey, my eyes were on the island.
I had everything in hand and I headed to my room.
At the top of the stairs I met my toothless wonder.
Rowan.
"Look what I found Mommy!"
He held up the book "Alice in Wonderland." It was a large book. Huge. I opened my mouth...
"I know you love to read this to me Mama Daaaarling!" His gums smiled his confidence...
The island became obscured by mists.
Sometimes tea is a destination, and other times it's just a beverage, sipped in between pages of Alice in Wonderland, finished off by a blond girl, cuddled on your lap, wearing clean pants.

Sometimes we land on a different island than we set out for.

Sometimes, the island is a bed, where three travelers maroon on a velvet quilt for a while....an "island of peace in a turbulent sea."
A destination.