When I was a little girl, I remember a neighbour of ours used to make soup whenever she heard that someone on the street was sick…and we all knew when someone was sick. How, you may ask? Well, we would see her – walking down the street in her Italian black dress, an apron on and the pot of soup perched on her head as she walked to deliver the soup to her “patient”. That sight today would sound alarm bells (like, crazy lady alarm bells) but back then, it was just one of those things that neighbours would do to help each other out. And sure enough, whomever it was that received the soup, would feel better pretty quickly.
I wish stuff like that happened more often.
People often would trust neighbours, friends and family members to help with illness. Sometimes it was pretty mainstream…other times, it was kind of unusual. But, most of the time, it was the elderly (like they say, wise beyond their years) who had the best advice. My cousin’s grandmother was one of those elders who would take us to the park when we would visit – and while we went to the playground, she would gather up wild chamomile flowers in her apron and bring them home to dry them for tea. Whenever someone had a sore tummy, Zia Betina would gather some dried chamomile leaves and brew them up into a lovely tea. “Good for the tummy…and helps you sleep”, she would say.
When I saw a chamomile plant last year, I had to buy it. Now, the daisy like flowers that grow in my garden and the scent it sends out as you brush past the leaves brings back such wonderful memories…of family, health and kindness in humanity!
I wish stuff like that happened more often.
People often would trust neighbours, friends and family members to help with illness. Sometimes it was pretty mainstream…other times, it was kind of unusual. But, most of the time, it was the elderly (like they say, wise beyond their years) who had the best advice. My cousin’s grandmother was one of those elders who would take us to the park when we would visit – and while we went to the playground, she would gather up wild chamomile flowers in her apron and bring them home to dry them for tea. Whenever someone had a sore tummy, Zia Betina would gather some dried chamomile leaves and brew them up into a lovely tea. “Good for the tummy…and helps you sleep”, she would say.
When I saw a chamomile plant last year, I had to buy it. Now, the daisy like flowers that grow in my garden and the scent it sends out as you brush past the leaves brings back such wonderful memories…of family, health and kindness in humanity!
The plant starts off as a moss-like cover in the bed where it grows and then it begins to grow upwards into daisy-like flowers. The plant can be harvested and dried and then can be made into an infusion and used as a hot beverage most commonly used to aid with digestion and assist with insomnia
