A Day to Remember: a Chance Encounter with a Celebrity

Flashing back to my early childhood, I can recall my mother opening a rectangular tea tin, filling our kitchen with the heavenly scent of oranges and spice. Once I learned to read, I came to know this tea as "Constant Comment," which would become my favorite tea for life.

Tea was a part of growing up-a part of life. Whenever we were sick in bed, my mother soothed us with hot tea and crackers. Whenever company came, Mother served hot Constant Comment tea, filling the house with the incredible aroma of tea, oranges, and spice. Many happy family memories centered around Mom's favorite tea and its amazing fragrance that wafted throughout the house.

Even today, whenever I drink a cup of Constant Comment, my mind drifts back to childhood memories.

My husband and I run a small business selling herbal capsules, and in September of 2009, we attended a multi-day "Natural Products" tradeshow in Boston, with over 20,000 attendees and nearly 2,000 exhibitors of natural products. I was pleasantly surprised to find a booth by R.C. Bigelow, Inc., makers of Constant Comment tea, managed by a young, pretty, energetic woman with flowing blond hair.

As my husband and I strolled by the Bigelow booth, we stopped, and I advised the woman that this had always been my favorite tea. And then, when I glanced at her name tag which read "Cindi Bigelow," I asked her if her last name was coincidental. "My grandmother started the company," she said with a smile, and explained to me that Constant Comment was her grandmother's first tea.

My heart raced as I realized that I was talking to a direct descendent of the creator of the tea of my childhood memories. I was speechless for a moment, then gathered my wits enough to ask her for her autograph. To my utter amazement, she autographed an official Bigelow ball cap for me, then raced out from behind the counter to give me a hug.

This was a day that I would never forget. Here, right in front of me, stood the heiress to a tea empire, yet she found the time to autograph a ball cap for me and give me a hug. I was nearly moved to tears by her kindness.

In order to answer my many questions about tea and the R.C. Bigelow, Inc. tea company, Cindi promised to send me a book, written by her father, David, telling the story of how her grandmother, Ruth Campbell Bigelow, invented her first special-blend tea and started the company.

As promised, the book, "My Mother Loved TEA," arrived soon after we returned home from the tradeshow. That very night I began reading the book, and found it so absolutely captivating that I was not able to lay it down; and therefore, finished reading it at 4:30 the next morning.

I felt as if I got to know Ruth and David Bigelow as I read about the epic events that led up to founding of the tea company, including the losses of both their careers in the Great Depression and, later, how they risked their remaining life's savings to buy a building which would serve as both home and workshop. I learned of their struggles, hardships, and endless work hours to make their dream gradually evolve into the successful tea company that we all know today.

After reading this marvelous book, I have decided that my next trip will be to the Bigelow tea farm in Charleston, South Carolina, to tour and learn about the only tea farm in all of North America.

Was my run-in with this woman an act of fate, or was it simply coincidence?

My chance encounter with the granddaughter of the woman who created my favorite tea reinforces the fact that there really and truly are luminaries among us who are personable, kind, and generous because they place a much greater importance in the inheritance of a humble heart and a strong work ethic than in the inheritance of wealth.