This is a small thermos with an ingenious pour spout built into the cap. Today it is filled with tea, special “love” tea and I brought it to my wife who works at a school down the road from where we live.

In 1989, when I was “courting” Anne I brought her what I then called “Sherpa tea” in a thermos in the mid morning when I knew she had a break (black tea with crushed cardamon pods, milk and sugar, a chai I guess). Sometimes I left it outside the door if she had a student . She was always so grateful to get it: for the attention, the thought, and of course, the tea during a busy work day.

I figured it would not have the same impact if I brought it every day (she’d get sick of it and me) so I decided to do it when I was pretty sure she needed it.

Over the past 16 years I have continued to bring tea (same recipe) and along the way we got married (it worked). One might have thought I’d have quit once we got married but in fact I enjoy bringing her tea these days more than ever.

My wife Anne between classes dealing with school email. She’s the head of academic support at a private school and besides one on one tutoring of students she runs a small department and deals with ETS (argh!) for accommodated SATs.

A few of the books on Anne’s office bookshelf. She’s collected and read hundreds of books on learning, learning problems, dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, special education law and pretty much everything related to this stuff.