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With summer heating up, any day now will be a fine time for the season's first fill of our sun tea container.

We have had the plastic container for as long as I can remember. It isn't fancy with a cheery painted design or a sensible spigot. From what I can tell, even though the label is long gone, it is actually a recycled juice container.

The jug has meaning for me because it demonstrates the power of steady warmth.

I once believed tea could only be brewed with sun rays. The reality that dipping bags in boiling water could achieve the same results took a long time for me to fully comprehend. Sun tea was made with considerably more ceremony than regular tea.

Once the jug was filled with water, tea bags were inserted, and I could watch the transformation as the rays reached through our kitchen window. From a clear start to a beverage that suited me to a tea, I drank in the lesson.

I am ready to absorb the sun myself, if it will make me stronger.