February 14th

On a day where roses feature prominently as a symbol of love, I thought I'd turn things around and share three of the many things I love about them.  

One: The simple joy of drinking rose water with petals from the garden. Just add some fresh petals to a jug or glass of water and leave them for a little while before drinking. It tastes and smells beautiful, feels very calming, and is also medicinal (anti-microbial).

Two: The skin healing power of rosehip oil. In January last year I had to have a large section of my right cheek removed which left a scar from the inner corner of my eye to the corner of my mouth. A very skilled surgeon did a fantastic job, but I was told that it might be two to three years until it looked acceptable. I had read about rosehip oil's skin repairing abilities, so once the wound had healed and was pain-free enough to touch I massaged the area gently with rosehip oil each day. Now, a year on, although there is still a little bit of shape and elasticity to recover, the scar is hardly noticeable unless you are looking for it! ​

Three: A story I was told last year by a customer at the market which has stayed with me. I don't know how the subject arose but she told me how her severely autistic son (now an adult) used to struggle so much as a toddler, but the thing that made him happiest and always calmed him down was taking himself into the garden and literally burying his head in the roses. He used to spend hours there and couldn't even eat his breakfast unless there was a rose on his highchair tray! I love the image of this little boy being so comforted by roses.

So whatever February 14th looks like for you, I hope there will be something that brings you joy/healing/comfort today. The sunshine is bringing me joy :-)

A yellow rose of friendship. Thank you for reading.