Tea Cups and Coffee Mugs

I've decided that people can be basically be divided into two types of vessels: Tea Cups and Coffee Mugs.

First you have your coffee mug.  It can hold much more than a tea cup, you don't have to hold your pinky out to drink out of it and it can take a beating.  You can put it in the dishwasher and microwave and probably even bump it on the granite or the edge of the cupboard and it won't shatter.  It may chip but it probably won't break.
Then you have your tea cup.  Tea cups are dainty.  They can only handle a little at a time, they are fragile and they require a little hand wash and dry to preserve their delicate structure.
Both are admired and enjoyed.  Although coffee mugs aren't particularly beautiful, they can have a fun design and be awesomely ergonomically comfortable for consuming my beloved coffee.  Tea cups have beautiful paintings, interesting shapes, and come with all kinds of lovely embellishments.  They both serve a purpose.

People that are tea cups are treated delicately.  The ones you speak sweetly to, you tip-toe around, you cater to.  Tea cups need to be coddled, to make sure that they don't get broken.
People that are mugs, are just mugs.  They don't really come with special requirements.

I have mug friends and teacup friends.  I enjoy them both. Teacups require a little more special attention than mugs but once I figure out how to tip-toe it becomes easier to be with the teacups.  Mugs are comfortable.  Mugs are easy to be with, easy to care for, and generally reliable.  Mugs are easy going, up for anything and don't have all sorts of things to account for when planning a get together.

Today I found myself thinking about mugs and teacups.  I was wondering if it is better to be a mug or a teacup?  Teacups get special attention, that must be nice.  It must to handy to never have to be put in an uncomfortable situation because everyone hand washes you.
But mugs are strong and hardy and they get to go places that teacups would never venture.

After a little thought, I decided I'd prefer to be a mug.
I'd rather be dropped and survive than be kept on a shelf so I don't get scratched.
But I'd like to be a special mug that someone actually cares about if they chip, not just a mug that comes in a set of 8.  I want to be a collectors mug, a limited edition.  Sure, you can still throw me in the dishwasher and take me outside with a book, but if a ball comes flying toward the mug me, you'd reach out and save the mug rather than letting the ball knock it to the ground.

I think sometimes people forget that mugs can break too: that strong people have weaknesses, that givers run out of stuff to give, that helpful people can get tired of helping, that tolerant people have limits and sometimes independent people need a hand.

Be kind to your mugs.

Comments

Allison said…
This was really fun to read! Thank you for taking the time to put it down in such such an engaging way. : >

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