i met them as i have met so many…over a hot cup of chai

stephane and antoine

there was something about the way they movedthe clothes they worethat i knew they were not from herewhen i asked where they were from“france” was their answerwhen i asked why they were herethey gave me one of my most favorite of answers“the lakes”

they had taken the time so many of us closer by have notto travel one of nature’s greatest and most beautiful of resourcessuperior, ontario, huron, erie, and michiganthe lakes,our lakes 

handsome and kindbags at their sidewe spoke for too short a timebut just enough to leave their mark

gracious and openthey said goodbyewith the warmest of hugs, the kindest of wordsand a promise to share more of their story 

later, i would find their notes

“thank you for this awesome cup of tea” “thanks so much for this moment of joy.”… Read the rest “Episode 1. What can happen over a hot cup of chai.”

it has been almost eight months since i began my residency and “chai at the pfister”it was may 28, 2019 when i made chai in the pfister’s executive kitchen for the first time…every one was a first timer on that daybut since then, many of those first timers have become regularsi know how they like their chai—a half cup or full, with a lot of sugar or a littlethey take it “to go” or sit with me & staythey sign my guest book and share their stories—anecdotes about where they are from and why they are here where they are going and who they are withthey are from milwaukee and around the worldthey are the pfister staff and frequent visitortravelers and business execsyoung and oldwomen and menblack and whiteand every shade in betweenand as i listen to news of drones striking and fires blazingearthquakes shaking and protestors fightingplanes crashing and people dyingi find myself paging through my journals, volumes 1, 2 & 3 filled with their names, the places they call home, the kindest of words, and blessings and well wishes for the new year and i am filled with the hope that comes when you meet people where they are, and in those moments feel less far apart and broken than the world so often seems…… Read the rest “first timers and regulars…”

It is a quiet night here at the hotel. There are just a few of us gathered. Kelly, Kami and Steve behind the bar, a retired Milwaukee police officer shot in the line of duty and now happy father of baby triplets, and Perry at the piano filling the lobby with the sweet sound of longing and dreammaking. … Read the rest “Moon River”

In slow motion, I watched as it all came crashing down. The in-room dining cart and tea urn on its side.Broken cups, broken plates and 30 cups of homemade chai.Stretched… Read the rest “One of my most favorite of days…”