From the Grandmother Part 1.
Some of my earliest memories are with my grandmothers.
I can vividly remember Mama's (maternal) house, that we lived in until my parents got their own place.
And though she moved a couple times throughout my childhood, I could still draw each of her houses in detail. That lets you know how much time I spent with her. With mama, I learned so much about being a woman. She taught me about the body I would grow up to care for. About the men I would grow up to encounter, and the children I would grow up to raise.
She even came to help me care for my children, keep my home clean, and prepare meals when as a new mom I needed the rest. That's what nurturing is like from the grandmother.
She taught me how to make a meal out of a few ingredients and make it taste like love; how to heal myself, my children, and others from plant medicine before it became a hot topic on instagram. Imagine being 4 years old and seeing your grandma with a cup of green water... all of the face churning, creepy thoughts, smells and taste run through your mind about what this green water is. Intrigued, I start asking questions, poking around, "ewww, what's that," I asked. And little did I know that cup of green water was for me. "Drink it!" plugging my nose I took the gulp. still disgusted, I ask again "What was that and why is it green?" I had just had my first cup of chlorophyll water. Natures Sunshine was the brand and this was the bottle, except it had a crusty build up around the top from the chlorophyll dripping out after a pour. To a 4 year old me this image was grotesque.
But Little did I know, that gross green water was setting me up for success in the future. Along with many other things like seasonal enemas, ear candles, detox foot soaks, and Cascara Sagrada🤢, which I hated the most; a funky powdered herb that came in capsules. The smell alone would make you gag at the opening of the bottle. She would try and sneak it into our apple sauce or juice. One day she got creative and tried to make a smoothie. This is 1996, smoothies weren't even that girl to be mixing it with Cascara sagrada... long story short, it ended in vomit and a trip to the toilet to cleanse out all those happy meals we were eating.
My grandmother was preparing my immune system for the many illnesses and diseases that would come to plague our people. And for that I am grateful. I know the importance of a natural remedy. I remember visits to Dr. Earl, where we would take home the vitamins made from green and red apples, drink lots of water, and snicker at the thought of someone in the next room getting a colonic. Mama instilled the knowledge of self sustainability, of self healing and preservation. I am fortunate to have had this type of experience with my grandmother.
It's no surprise that life brought me back around to the remedies. Using herbs, plants and wisdom of the elders. This wisdom that has been passed on through many other grandmothers before. When I listen to stories shed tell me of her grandmother and great grandmother, I am instantly filled. To learn that my great-great-great maternal grandmother had not a green thumb but a green hand and knew her way around a garden makes sense as to why I was out here growing cucumbers the size of watermelons on my first go round. How I can whip up a remedy on the fly, and where my son gets some of his work ethic.
The grandmother energy is very potent around here.
From the Grandmother Part 2 on July 5 ♡