The purpose of tear-water tea

The purpose of tear-water tea From Owl at Home by Arnold LobelAlt. textAn owl in striped pyjamas stands in his kitchen, holding a tea pot to his chest. He is crying and his tears fall in the pot, which is almost full. The colours of the drawing are muted and warm yellow, suggesting a cosy fire burning somewhere. August is almost ending: friends, family, and colleagues are returning from their holidays. It has me reflecting on the things I can no longer do. Generally, I’m a glass-half-full kind of person, which I think is a more helpful attitude than dwelling on the negatives (in most situations). However, there is a time and place for everything, and this reminiscing reminded me of a beautiful story I read as a kid: Tear-water tea, from Owl at Home, written in 1975 by Arnold Lobel (For Grandma). In the story, Owl sets out to make a pot of tea by thinking of things that were sad; his tears begin to flow freely and he deftly captures them in his tea pot. Let me demonstrate how it works:…