Today I sat for tea ceremony with GGrippo at his and his partner’s tea shop Puerh in Williamsburg. I’ve been putting off writing this post since the morning because I want to convey how profound it was for me but the words have been failing me.
But that’s what’s profound about ceremony. When we sit and let our mind still to the breath, when we focus our attention on intentional movement, on connecting to the space around us, between us, inside us, we begin to learn all the things the words can’t say.
GGrippo, thank you for teaching me with your hands today. For showing me the softness of the way you hold the things that are important to you. The way you take them into your body. The way you offer them to others.
Thank you for inviting me into your space. Into your business before hours which starts and ends as but is always your family’s home. Thank you for trusting me with what is precious to you - your health in a time of gentle reopening as this pandemic winter thaws, your emotional energy as we shared the rise and fall of breath as well as the rise and fall of our stories in the world through queerness, isolation, and community.
It was so good to laugh together. It was so good to have my legs fall asleep and to feel supported by the space of our shared experience more than my own body. It was a privilege to let tears fall down my face as I sat in deep gratitude for the gifts that we are able to give others when we are willing to be vulnerable and share space together. It was been a pleasure to become friends with you over the last two years.
And thank you for the tea, it was delicious.