I've been fortunate enough today to be sick. All too often, I find that only when I'm sick do I take the time to read, meditate or simply do nothing. Only when I'm forced to do I really take it all in, and with each passing year, there seems more to "take in". So, what with this being the last day of the year, my recounting the past and mentally sowing the seeds of what I'd like to see happen in the future, my ponderances are in line with the rest of the world's people who are doing the same.

In terms of this blog, had you told me a year ago that I would have a blog, a Yahoo Group and vision for a company all based on the concept of tea, I would have looked at you oddly. Much like Emperor Shen Nong who was just boiling water and created tea by accident, the same has happened to me. I never that tea would be something significant in my life, I discovered it on accident...or rather, in both cases, tea found the person, not the other way around.

I love that I have no idea where this ride is going....all I know is that this ride is far from done. Those who know me personally know that I have a grand awareness and exhuberence for all things Random. I guess that's why the myth of how tea was "discovered" resonates with me. There was some person, boiling water in the forest...probably making some rice or something (funny how no one ever questions what his orginal purpose for boiling water near a tree was) and then randomly a leaf fell into the water and Voila! TEA was born.

The theories and philosophy of all things Random ruled my life for a very significant part of my life. I still smile inside someone says that word as if they have uttered the magic word (only no duck comes down with $100). I have been out of touch otherwise with the Random life, which takes everything that happens with an awareness that nothing is truly random and that all things that seem random should be embraced positively. Had the Emperor quickly yanked the leaves out of the pot what would we all be drinking 4800 years later? While it would have been deemed a normal reaction to extract the fallen debris out of the rice water in order to continue with what he expected to do, he embraced the unexpected.

So, with that I leave you all to celebrate your day, your year, your life and maybe over your favorite cup of tea you'll take a moment to consider the wisdom passed onto you from the Emperor's example. Embrace the unexpected.

Happy New Year

Randomly,
Madam Potts