Tea for the Children

A retelling for children, based on The Diary of Juliet Thompson (diary entry, 4 July 1909). The words in quotation marks are 'Abdu'l-Bahá's own, as Juliet wrote them down.

Juliet Thompson was a painter from New York. In the summer of 1909 she crossed the ocean to visit 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the Holy Land. On the morning of the fourth of July, He took Juliet and a small group of friends, with four children, to Bahjí, where the Tomb of Bahá'u'lláh is.

At the house in Bahjí He joined them in a cool room with whitewashed walls. When the tea was brought in, He served everyone with His own hands. Then He called the four children to Him. Two were His own little grandsons, and two were boys from America. He drew all four to His knees and held them close in His arms.

Then He set the children down on the floor and brought them their tea Himself. He sat down on the floor in the middle of them. He put sugar in their tea, stirred it and fed it to them, smiling at them all the while. Juliet wrote that she could not find words for how tender He was.

Afterward He led everyone to pray at the Holy Tomb. When they came out, He said, "Come and I will show you My garden." He led them across a stony field, with one of the American boys pressed close on each side of Him. After a while He stopped and pointed out over the sea. One of the friends said that America lay beyond it, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá answered:

America and this land are one. The world is one.

This is a retelling for children. For the fuller account, see "Tea at the Holy Tomb".

Thompson, J.. (1947). *The Diary of Juliet Thompson*. Kalimát Press. https://bahai-library.com/thompson_diary