Tea reminds me of my mother. One of my earliest memories is of getting off the big yellow school bus and coming home to find my mother in her bedroom, waiting for me to tell her about my day, sitting in her chair and watching soap operas as she had her “afternoon tea.” She would have her favorite tea cup full of her favorite tea, Constant Comment — a blue and white cup so big it looked more like a soup bowl — and an open-faced sandwich to go along with it. She was European, and afternoon tea was an important ritual to her — so important that I can remember driving home from a family vacation and my mother insisting that she needed to stop for “high tea,” while my father tried to bring her attention to the fact that we were in the north woods of Canada and tea houses were few and far between. We ended up stopping at a truck stop; I don’t think the “high tea” lived up to my mother’s expectations that day.

My favorite family teatime ritual, however, was our evening tea. Every night around 9 p.m. my parents would brew a pot of tea. They would carry out the steaming cups (my mother’s cup taking up far more than its fair share of space on the tray) along with dishes of ice cream or slices of cake. We would sit together, enjoying our dessert and watching television. My mother would sew or flip through a magazine for awhile, but eventually I would lay my head in her lap and she would scratch my head with one hand as she sipped her tea with the other. I would doze off, sleepy and content, feeling her fingers in my hair, her warm touch conveying her love for me. I’m 29 years old, now, and my mother has been gone for three years. She was the glue that held our family together, and I miss those nights of tea and dessert like I miss sunshine in winter. That big blue cup belongs to me, now. When I take it out and make myself a cup of Constant Comment, I can still feel my mother’s hand on my head, and I feel again her love for me, and suddenly all is right with the world again.

—Erika Holst, Runner Up for Best Story for the Constant Comment Contest

Yes, we have a winner for the Constant Comment® Story Contest written by Debora Dickinson.  Thanks Debora for sharing this with us!

As far back as I can remember, my mother bought Bigelow’s Constant Comment Tea, she loved her coffee too, but would relax in the afternoon with her tea in our living room, and when I became a teenager she shared it with me. We would sometimes sit out on our outside front porch in the summer when everything was rich and green and the morning doves were cooing, crickets were noisy and read a good book savoring our CC tea. As I grew up and life became more hectic, time did not always allow for us to sit on the front porch. I never developed a taste for coffee and continued to drink Constant Comment every morning and made iced tea with it, and it became my staple. I moved to other cities to work and live over the years, and had a family, but almost every time I drank Constant Comment tea I would think of my home and my mother and our time together.

So two years ago when she was diagnosed with a terminal disease, I flew home and we cried together and spent our time with each other and we would again sit every day and have our tea, remembering our times 40 years earlier, our summertime’s sipping tea on the front porch. Constant Comment was our very favorite and she would always buy me a box to have for myself when I came to visit for the holidays. Once she even put one in my Christmas stocking! I don’t have a daughter now to share my tea time, but I am acquiring a daughter in law next spring and we will be having an afternoon tea shower for her. I can’t wait for her to taste my Constant Comment. It will seem as if my mother is somewhere there with us in spirit. It was just one of the pleasures in life that we enjoyed in common.

Debora Dickinson with her mother.

I’m so happy that I stumbled on the best tea I’ve tasted in many years. Your array of Bigelow herbal teas has me enjoying  several cupfuls every day. Since I like all of the flavors, I especially enjoy selecting the one to suit my mood for each serving. Until recently when I discovered these delicious teas, I drank coffee which became tiresome and difficult to brew for a fresh, tasty cup. Now the ease in using tea bags is so much quicker. The result is not only a tastier drink but also a healthier one. Thanks for this excellent product.

Helen from Fargo

Two hours across the western Canadian border in a little mom and pop cafe was the first time I drank hot tea for anything besides an upset stomach or menstrual cramps. I was 20 years old, and the owner of the place refused to serve me Pepsi for breakfast. He muttered something about sacrilege and his eggs and (Canadian) bacon served with soda over his dead body. So he brought me a pitcher of hot water and a little basket of Bigelow teas. I picked the Earl Grey because I liked the name, and I had to admit. It DID make breakfast taste better.

After many campfires and hiking trips that same summer I’m convinced that it’s impossible to enjoy nature, or to shake off a cold rainy day as effectively with anything but tea. I’m hooked now. Fewer calories than coffee with the flavored creamers I so love…and I can carry a package in my pocket and find hot water anywhere!

I noticed Earl Grey is the first tea to disappear when I go to conferences or hotels that serve continental breakfasts, so I know I’m not the only one who loves it. Thanks for giving me a chance to share how much I love this tea!

Becky B.
Virginia

A little over a year ago, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. With the help of quick-working surgeons and a wonderful oncologist, she was able to have a lumpectomy 30 days after her original diagnosis and began her chemotherapy a few days before Christmas.

My mother is a very intelligent and strong woman. She knew that she was heading into some tougher times, but she knew those times would be dealt with much easier if she had the proper tools. Her massive support system was a huge aid, but she also found some helpful hints in A Dietitian’s Cancer Story. She had done a ton of reading, and had listened carefully to her oncologist regarding her diet and some things that she could do to keep her immune system strong and energy levels high. As it is constantly mentioned on this site, green tea is incredible (it’s even better when accompanied by a great antioxidant). The book seconded this and gave her a great recipe for a green tea shake, which she tried and loved. Throughout her chemotherapy, she drank a lot of tea to help boost her immune system. I can personally attest to the fact that it worked wonders.

After her chemotherapy, she had to go through radiation treatments. These treatments are notorious for draining your energy and producing a lot of fatigue if you don’t preemptively strike against that. Her doctor told her that ginseng works wonders for people going through radiation treatment. My mother took ginseng pills and drank ginseng tea a few times a week in an effort to counteract the fatigue she would get from her daily treatments. Very rarely did she ever experience any drop in energy due to her treatments and she was able to easily maintain her happy demeanor.

Overall, a combination of great doctors, great attitude, and a great diet helped her go through the invasive stage of her treatment fairly easy. She went into it scared, but very prepared and ready to take whatever came at her head on. Now that she has moved on past the extreme treatments and into the less invasive, she still continues her healthy diet and drinks a lot of tea to continue to boost her immune system as the cold season bears down on us. It also helps to have a son who writes for a tea blog and provides her with the wealth of knowledge this place has to offer.

Ross Hammond, Bigelow Tea supporter and blog writer

Dear Bigelow Tea,

Recently, I held a bridal shower for my niece, Chessie, at The Colonial Inn in Concord, Massachusetts. We are all big tea drinkers so we decided an afternoon tea would be nice. I had silver teapots overflowing with bright colored spring flowers on the tables and as favors, gave tea cups wrapped up with an assortment of Bigelow teas. Bigelow Tea is a favorite in our family! My sister, Julie, Chessie’s mother, is a Constant Comment fan from way back. Thought you might enjoy seeing the photos:

Sincerely,
Susan O’Neil

This is Spooky the cat drinking Bigelow Mint Medley tea.  Spooky is now 11 years old and in very good health, probably from the tea says her owner. When she smells it she comes running to the kitchen just hoping to get some for herself. Then she rolls around on the floor all happy and content.

Here’s Spooky hanging out at home in Coconut Creek Florida just waiting for more Bigelow Tea.

Audrey, proud owner and Bigelow Tea Drinker

Here is a nice letter about a new, and now loyal, fan of Constant Comment® Tea…how did you discover Constant Comment®?  We want to hear your story too!

Dear Bigelow,

My name is Ian MacGregor and I live in Seattle, Washington. This is a
story of how I recently came to discover Constant Comment.

Normally my friends and I meet at one of our homes a few times each week
for a social gathering. Last month, one of my friends brought a new tea
for us to try – tea is a large part of our gatherings. This new tea was
Constant Comment, from Bigelow. Bigelow teas are my favorite but I had
never seen this tea at any of the local markets. We talked a bit while
the water heated and I asked “how does it taste?”, to which she replied
“it’s a surprise”. The water finished, steeping done, I reached for my
cup and was met with the most wonderful aroma of black tea and oranges.
I quickly realized the new tin of Walkers shortbread cookies I bought
would be a perfect addition to our evening. Hours later we had finished
off all 20 bags of this delicious tea – the cookie tin now empty – and I
could only think that next week was too far away. Constant Comment is
now on my favorite teas list, thank you Bigelow.

Sincerely,

Ian MacGregor

This is from one of our creative Bigelow Tea supporters…what’s your story?

I have been a big fan of Bigelow for some time.  I put together a Tea Party Baby Shower for a friend, and the obvious choice for the favors was Bigelow!!  I love that the bags are indivudually wrapped, and you can find one in just about any color to match a theme.  I’ve attached some pictures of the final result!!

Thank you for making a great product!!!

Tiffany K.
Ohio

Just wanted to congratulate Bigelow on your English Teatime tea. I have been here in the US for about six weeks with a month to go before returning to my home town of Rochester in the UK. My English tea bags had run out and I was not looking forward to the coming month.

It is always a challenge for the English abroad to find a way to make a decent cup of tea. I have a travel kettle, so boiling water is not a problem. Decent tasting cows milk can be difficult to find but not this time as I’m working in Wisconsin. Only the tea bags to find then. Finally, I was in Wal-Mart and happened across your English Teatime tea bags. Usually the tea bags abroad either taste more of the bag than the tea or the tea is like perfumed water. Not yours though, just a lovely cup of English tea.

I hope you’re supplying all those hotels in Florida !!!

Well Done.

Graeme Longmuir