The Tea Kettle

I’m all about modern appliances. I am a creature of efficiency; I have much to do, and I like moving quickly. I like it even more when life provides me with the tools to move quickly. One of the places where I most enjoy modern appliances is in the kitchen. I work long days, up early and home late. Therefore, I like to be able to prepare things speedily. Toaster? Great. Blender? Awesome. Keurig? Perfection. But there’s one thing in my kitchen that I just won’t let go of: my tea kettle.

The tea kettle was a staple in my house growing up. Its whistle blew every weekend morning and afternoon, if not every weeknight as well. The tea kettle whistle served much like the historical lunch bell, calling us all from our nooks in the house to join around the table like farmers coming in for a midday break from the fields.

We didn’t have a tea kettle in college. For me, that was extremely strange. Tea pretty much became absent from my life. Yes, I knew that I could heat water up in a pan or in the microwave, but it wasn’t the same. The pan just bubbled and the microwave beeped; neither whistled.

I didn’t have a tea kettle in the first apartment that my husband and I shared together, either. We lived in the desert. The need for hot beverages was rare. Time passed, weekends were spent drinking coffee (usually iced). And then we registered for our wedding. A tea kettle was one of the first items I added to our registry.

We were gifted the tea kettle, and my home felt complete. I don’t care that we live in the desert—I just crank up the AC and pretend it is cold outside. Coffee is drunk on the weekdays, but tea is reserved for Sundays (I’m out the door too early on Saturdays for work to take the time). I love hearing my tea kettle whistle on a Sunday morning, secretly gleeful that it’s waking up my husband and pulling him out of bed. It’s the perfect start to a perfect day.

Did I mention that Sunday is my favorite day?