One Saturday afternoon, Ieva decided it was time for a ladies’ sauna evening. She had long deserved a little time just for herself and her friends. The kind of friends who, as usual, showed up in a rush — still chasing through shops on the way and replying to work messages on their phones.
Albert, while heating the sauna, quietly watched them buzzing around the kitchen — everyone talking at once, but no one really listening.
When he came in with birch whisks and lavender oil, Ieva teased him with a grin:
— Look, tonight there’s no room for your advice. It’s a girls’ night!
But Albert calmly placed a big clay mug on the table, filled with warm “Happiness in Love” tea from www.istaspirtslietas.lv.
— Girls’ night or not, just make sure you drink, — he said. — Tea is water too. And without water, even steam won’t come to life.
The friends laughed, as they always did. One said she’d drink after the sauna, another joked that she’d already had her coffee, so she was good. Only Ieva paused for a moment, looked at the tea, and took the mug. She knew — Albert always pointed out the little things that later turned out to be the most important.
So they drank a little tea, more out of respect for the host than true belief. Meanwhile, the sauna was already fully heated, and the steam was soft and warm — the kind that sinks into your skin instead of burning you from the first minute.
After the first round, the friends weren’t as noisy. After the second, they were already sitting quietly, gently laughing. Ieva watched as their faces softened, their shoulders relaxed, and even she felt her breathing get easier.
Later, sitting on the porch with their tea, one of the friends quietly said:
— You know, I think this is the first time I feel good after the sauna, not dried out like a raisin. Must be because we started with tea…
Ieva glanced at Albert, who was quietly clearing the table. She smiled:
— Looks like I’ve been doing sauna wrong all my life. From now on, water will be just as important as the whisk.
And Albert, passing by, added with a grin:
— Good steam lasts in those who remember to drink.