Welcome!  Do take a seat and relax with a cup.  I’ve set out a special tea today to honor a graduate.  Do you have any loved ones graduating from high school or college this month or next?  Is your best friend’s son or daughter about to embark on higher education?  Is your grandson about to enter the workforce?  A tea is a lovely way to honor the grad, and I’ve several unique ways to help send them off on this next exciting stage of life.

My eldest is graduating from high school in June.  Did you know that many psychologists consider college to be one of the top five stressful periods in a person’s life?  I mainly just recall it being fun, but I do remember my father telling me life would only get easier after college (it didn’t – mainly due to my career choice, it got harder!).  So, if Dad felt the need to say that, I must have experienced some trying times.  Even today, as I look around at all of the young, energetic people about to move into adulthood, everything seems promising.  I can easily overlook the weight of the changes these scholars are about to experience.

So, I thought it would be a good idea to plan a gathering just for the graduate.  Mine will be a special time to imbue the honoree with some casual, practical gifts, while of course enjoying fellowship and tea!  I’m bringing out the good stuff  — Wedgwood’s Cuckoo pattern fine china.  After all, we’re celebrating quite an accomplishment.  Doesn’t it make a charming tea table?  The cups are pretty inside and out.

     

     

We’ll keep the food simple.  I’m offering moist coconut macaroons, lemon crepe biscuits, and cream cheese crumbles.  I’ve decided the tea itself will be special, and have brewed two pots of Harrod’s Blend 49, a fusion of the best teas from India.

       

I’m giving each guest a pretty card and envelope before our student arrives.  Many of these were freebies sent to me by various organizations.  I’m sure you have several lying around your house unused, too.  Now, write down a special message for the graduate.  It can be a word of wisdom, note of encouragement, or amusing anecdote.  Sign your name, stuff them in their envelope, and I’ll collect the cards.  After our guest of honor has departed for school (or the workforce), I will mail the notes gradually, over time.  Every week or two, he or she will receive a welcome message from a friend or loved one.  Snail mail and the artistic card make the well-wishes special and will certainly help dispel any homesickness!

     

     

A personalized mug or cup and saucer will allow our grad a moment to relax in the dorm or apartment.  I’ve chosen a set reflecting the recipient’s birth month.  Go another step and add special tea bags to the cup.  Or better yet, fill a goodie bag with a mix of instant tea, tang or instant lemonade, and spices and place it in the cup or mug.  What can be more relaxing than a brief respite with a cup of tea?  When I departed for college, my friends sent me off with a mug emblazoned with, “Excuse #1 – I’m saving myself for Tom Selleck!”  There, I guess that dates me!

   

How about a tiny volume filled with encouraging thoughts.  This slim tome, God’s Promises for Your Every Need, is one of my favorites to give to those embarking on the unknown.  Space will be at a premium while our graduate is away at school, so check out your local Bible bookstore for small books like this one.  You can even highlight the passages you think may be most useful to the student for an extra personal touch!

 

Would you like another cup?  Please share some of your adventures and positive experiences after graduation.  I’m sure our guest of honor will appreciate hearing from you.  How about some sage advice?  They’ll like that, too!

Tips:

• Plan a tea for the graduate in your life.  Pick a time that is convenient for the guest of honor.  It doesn’t really matter when, as long as you set time aside before they begin the new school year.
• Be as simple or elaborate as you like.  It’s the thoughtful gestures from the guests that will leave a lasting impression on your favorite scholar.
• Collect the greeting cards you receive for free in the mail.  Set aside those which are blank or have an appropriate message for the occasion.  Distribute one to each guest and have them write an encouraging note for the student, preferably before the guest of honor arrives.  Squirrel them away and send them to your loved one over a period of time, after they arrive at their new school or situation.
• Send the grad off with a supply of tea and a personalized mug or cup and saucer.
• Provide a small volume of encouragement to your graduate where they can look for advice and comfort when life becomes stressful.
• Give the graduate a pocket calendar.  Highlight the days when you will be praying specifically for them & be sure to record the dates on your own calendar.  This can be a group effort amongst all your guests.  I guarantee your scholar will be most appreciative of the support when he or she glances at the calendar and can see that Aunt Mary is lifting his or her needs in prayer that day!

Thank you for joining us for this special tea.  I hope you will incorporate some of these ideas with the graduate in your own life.  Please stop by any time!

 

 

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