A heritage.

Date: Tue, 29 Aug 1995 03:20:41 -0400
Sender: HERB.TREARNPC.EGE.EDU.TR
From: List Cheryl Goers <CATHRINA.AOL.COM>
Subject: Nostalgia

I just wanted to take a moment and share something with all of you on the list that prepare your own herbal extracts, etc...I come from a long line of Doctors, myself being one member of the line. Today, due to a recent death in my family, I inherited a very special treasure, one that I will always cherish for many reasons, among those reasons is the very special memory of my grandfather teaching me how to compound herbs and make tinctures for various ailments,etc...My grandfather spent hours upon hours walking me through woods and gardens showing me the various herbs and quizzing me until he felt I had the picture of the herb committed to memory, and then showing me the different ways in which to compound the various herbs, etc.. over and over again until he felt I was proficient at using the herbs to their fullest ability. Anyhow, enough rambling on about the past. Tonight I started going through a box that my grandfather had specified should go to me in the event of his death. This box contained a wonderful treasure of legacy from my grandfather. The first article I pulled from this box, was a very worn book that contained the "recipes" of some of my grandfathers special creations of perfume and toiletries made from fresh herbs and flowers.Included in this book was even his very own recipes for making coke a cola and root beer for us kids without all the preservatives. Coke a cola and Barq's have nothing on my grandfather. : ) Along with this book written entirely in my grandfathers handwriting, I was given medical books dating around the period of the civil war. I was also left my great grandfathers surgical kit that he and his father before him used on the field of battle trying to help soldiers that had fallen. As I read through each book he left to me so that one day I too could give it to a child or grandchild, I realize the wonderful legacy that was left to me. Most of all I realize that it was my grandfathers way of telling me that in a world of modern medicine that there are people that have to keep the old medicine alive lest we forget where our roots started from.

My grandfathers favorite saying was that you have to know where your roots came from in order to sprout wings and fly forward. I think I finally understand what he meant.I apologize for taking up so much of all of ya'lls time,but, this is something I really wanted to share, and I figured if anyone would understand, all of you would.In a day and age when doctors are starting to look back at past treatments and use them, ( case in point, the use of leeches on wounds,which is becoming a common accepted treatment once again.) I wonder what other cures we will discover through herbal treatments for modern ailments that our wonderful modern techniques have failed to cure. Anyhow, thankyou all for your time, writting this, I kind of feel as if my grandfather is standing over me smiling, he doesn't seem so far away after all. Take Care Everyone!

Cathrina.aol.com