 Illustrative image Warm and comforting steam from herbal leaves. 11:27:0 - 15/4/2025 If there's one image that perfectly encapsulates a mother's tender love, it's the fragrant herbal steam bath she prepared whenever I was sick. It's that warm, herbal aroma; just one deep breath seems to melt away all weariness, leaving me feeling refreshed and at peace. When I was a child, I was often sick. Sudden colds would come, bringing with them a dry, sore throat, labored breathing, and a high fever. But I wasn't afraid, because I knew my mother would always find a way to treat me using plants from our garden. Just by listening to my voice, looking at my complexion, and observing my every gesture, my mother could tell what illness I had. With common seasonal colds, she could treat me at home without needing to go to the hospital. First, my mother would give me fish mint juice to lower my fever, then she would boil a pot of herbal water for me to steam. The small garden behind our house had many kinds of medicinal herbs, so it was easy to make a pot of fragrant herbal steam. The ingredients for the steaming water were quite diverse. It was a combination of many things such as grapefruit peel and leaves, dried citrus peels, perilla leaves, lemongrass, ginger, lime leaves, mugwort leaves, and Centella asiatica leaves... and a little white salt. After washing the leaves and peels, my mother would put them all into a large pot of water placed on a wood-fired stove. When the water started boiling, a fragrant aroma would fill the air, mingling with the kitchen smoke and spreading throughout the yard. The sweet scent of perilla, the pungent aroma of lemongrass, the slightly spicy kick of ginger, the refreshing coolness of pomelo leaves, the earthy undertones of smoke... all blended together into a symphony of herbs and plants, incredibly fragrant. My mother carried the pot of water upstairs, chose a clean, sheltered spot, told me to sit down, and covered my head with a woolen blanket. Then, she gave me a towel to wipe away the sweat, instructed me on how to sit and breathe properly while steaming, and then gestured for me to open the lid of the pot. The steam billowed into the cramped space, enveloping my body. At first, I felt unwell, my eyes stung, and sweat poured down my neck and shoulders. I guessed the flu virus couldn't possibly withstand this temperature. It felt like everything was melting in that heat. But my mother sat beside me, her calloused hands gently patting my back, her voice soft: "Hang in there, my child, you'll be better soon." Those words of encouragement were like a cool stream flowing through my muscles and veins, soothing all the suffocating tension within me. Once I adapted to the steam bath, I took deep breaths of the sweet and refreshing scent of the countryside, feeling my body gradually recovering. My mother's herbal steam bath brought immense relaxation and relief. After the bath, she helped me dry off and gave me a bowl of meat porridge with plenty of perilla leaves. The next day, I was back to playing happily as usual, as if I had never caught a cold. Now that I'm an adult with my own family, I still prepare my own herbal steam bath whenever I feel unwell. All the ingredients are bought ready-made at the market. The water still works wonders for me, but somehow I feel something is missing. Perhaps it's the taste of my mother's boundless love. This weekend, I'll put aside all my work to go home to my mother. Even though I'm not sick, I still want to be steamed with a pot of herbal water from our garden under the warm, comforting fire of my mother's kitchen. I want to hear her warm voice and feel like a little child again in her loving embrace. Surely, all the fatigue from my daily struggles will be soothed, and my body will be filled with positive energy to welcome all good things. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Starting September 7, 2020, Binh Phuoc Newspaper online launched the "Simple Things" column. This will be a new "playground" for all readers across the country, offering simple yet meaningful perspectives that resonate with many and perfectly embody the column's motto: "simple things." Articles should be sent to: baoindientu.thoisu@gmail.com; Tel: 0888.654.509. The editorial office will pay royalties to authors whose articles are published, in accordance with regulations. Details can be found here. BBT |
Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/19/171576/am-nong-hoi-nuoc-la-xong
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