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"Anyone from Maryland? Sure would love to meet and share a cuppa with you." A woman named Linda has just posted this note on the online message board of the Sandy's Tea Society website. Ten minutes later, a reply from a woman named Monica appears. "Would love to get together for tea!" Right there on the message board, they exchange e-mail addresses.
And just like that, two complete strangers have connected.
Founded in 2001 by artist and author Sandy Clough, Sandy's Tea Society (www.sandysteasociety.com) was created in hopes that through a common interest in tea, women could build friendships with each other. But at a time when web surfers are ultra protective of their identities and Internet chat rooms teem with sleaze, why would two women be so quick to swap contact information?
Simply put, they've found a safe place to find new friends.
From Painting to PairingThe idea for a tea society grew from Sandy's passion for art. Back in 2000, she created drawings of six women's vintage dresses, complete with matching hats and shoes, which were to be printed on tea sets. She brought these drawings to life when she wrote a book using her art to represent six different characters. In Sandy's Tea Society: Delighting in Friendships Steeped in Love (Harvest House), the six imaginary friends each host a tea party, and through these get-togethers their friendships grow.
"God gave me the idea that my book should be a primer for a woman who is looking for a friend," Sandy says. "I wanted it to offer a simple way to have a tea party, with affordable and easy decorating and recipe ideas."
Her idea didn't stop there. She then brought the book to life by founding a real "Sandy's Tea Society" on the Internet.
The motto of Sandy's Tea Society is "Joining kindred hearts with a cup of friendship." Its website offers several ways women can connect, including a message board and a "Secret Sippers" club, in which members anonymously exchange small gifts and kind notes. After registering on the website, society members receive the password for the message board, a newsletter regularly e-mailed from Sandy, and the opportunity to become a Secret Sipper.
"My goal wasn't to connect the ladies to me, but to each other," she says. "The world's so harsh today, and people are hungry for kindness."
A Need to ConnectIt certainly seems like today's women have fewer opportunities to foster friendships. Gone are the days of bridge games, block parties, and meeting a friend over the back fence. Even when we do make friends, job changes often take our newfound pals, or us, away.
"Women's friendships aren't as plentiful as we'd think," says Sandy. "We have a lot of acquaintances, but few friends. That was part of my burden: to help the woman who needs to connect but doesn't know how to get started."
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