Customer Reviews

A Cup of Christmas Tea

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tom Hegg's beautiful poem reminds us that people are the true magic of the season and that the best "gifts" can come from the most unexpeced places. This is a lovely book. I bought 7 copies so I could give them as gifts. The story and the lesson are timeless. What a treasure Mr. Hegg has given all of us.

What a celebration of Christmas and the love felt by older folks. It's Like "Timothy Cratchit's Christmas Carol, 1917" (which I had never heard of until I saw it on Amazon) in which it describes the love the elderly have for their children. Mr. Hegg, this is a gem

I've just received a copy of "A Christmas Cup of Tea" (on a chilly April day!) and have read it over six times. With each reading, this beautifully understated story of rediscovered joy in reaching out and connecting with others seems to reveal a little more insight. This is truly the "Heart Sutra" of Christmas theme books! An absolute must as a gift for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by the hubbub of the holiday rush!

Mr. Hegg has written an incredible Christmas story. In this small book he has captured the true meaning of Christmas, without being too sappy. There is no Santa in a red suit, no miracle sent from Heaven above, no old Scrouge turned to generosity --- just a man going to visit his great aunt. Although it is a very simple story, it is very heartwarming. Hegg did an excellent job of capturing the simple pleasure of sitting down with a member of your family. The magic in this book is self discovery and love for one's family. Finally, a Christmas story that I can relate to at Christmas time.

This poem is less about Christmas than it is about facing the reality of a beloved aged relative and our reasons both to visit them and to avoid them. The Great Aunt of the main character is old, it is Christmas and he knows that he really should pay her a visit. However, he is reluctant as he remembers her as a vibrant dynamic person and now she is so frail she can barely get around. After a great deal of thought and destruction of false excuses, he finally decides to go.
When he arrives she is very glad to see him and as they begin to talk his memories of past Christmases come back and those memories make her seem less frail. He sees what she has done to prepare for Christmas and wonders how she manages to do it all. As the story ends, they are settled in drinking a cup of Christmas tea.
This is a touching story that should be read by everyone a few weeks before Christmas. Few of us are so unlucky not to have an aged relative in our family. This tale reminds us that sometimes the best times are when we relive past times.

I deeply enjoyed reading this story of Christmas. I gave my copy away last year as a present to a dear friend to warm his soul. This story is so sincere that it will gentle even the hardest of hearts. It should be read out loud to children and to adults every Christmas and will certainly become a classic. I am sending a copy to more friends and family this year, as well as replacing my own copy. You don't know it, but you need this story desperately.

I bought my copy of Tom Hegg's poem in 1992 after reading Tom's story in Guidepost Magazine (Dec. 92 Issue). The bookstore had to order it for me. I was just delighted with the simple beauty of a lovely great-aunt and the narrator's reluctance to visit. A charming poem to be read each Christmas. I put it on my coffee table from Thanksgiving to New Years then I put it away and enjoy it all over again next year. This little poem tells a powerful story - and all of it spells "love." It's a treasure.

As I read Tom Hegg's book I was reminded how important little kindnesses are. Taking the time to visit and share is a lost art and we need to be reminded now and again of the importance of human touch. Wonderful and sensitive book. Blessings Tom!

Elegantly composed by Tom Hegg and beautifully illustrated by Warren Hanson, A Cup Of Christmas Tea is the heartwarming story of how a man's reluctant visit with his elderly aunt in quiet comfort of her home creates within him an unexpected joy and a renewal of the holiday spirit. The author was requested in 1981 by his pastor at the Westminister presbyterian Church in Minneapolis to write something for the church's 125th anniversy. Tom Hegg composed this wonderful story in just three days by drawing from the memories of Christmases he had spent with his grandparents and a great aunt. Written in verse, Hegg's story is timeless and timely -- and not to be restricted to the month of December, but enjoyed all year round as a personal and family favorite!

This is a wonderful book to give as Christmas gifts. Try sending this along with some homemade mix for your favorite tea and a cup. It makes a great yet inexpensive and heart-warming gift.