A reader (who wishes to remain anonymous) sent me the following remembrance of his mother, and I’m sharing it with you this week as a treat for us all.
“After my mother died, the ritual of selecting a remembrance of her was performed. I was moved because her granddaughters and great-granddaughters selected the same item without consulting with the others: the ‘magic teacup.’ Each was a different color, especially selected for her.
“Whenever one of the girls became ill while Grandmother watched her, a special ritual was performed to comfort her until a parent returned home. The ‘magic teacup’ was brought out of the built-in glass and wood cabinet in the dining room for her. Water was boiled in the kitchen for the chamomile tea and placed into the English teapot to brew. While this tea was brewing, the cup was warmed and made ready for the tea.
“Next, a large tablespoon of natural, unfiltered honey was brought out from the pantry off the kitchen and made ready to dissolve in the teacup.
“Finally, my mother reached behind the pantry door and brought out a bottle of VSOP brandy for the final ingredient of this folk medicine. My grandmother received a single bottle of this fine brandy each year for Christmas and it would last until the next December. Everyone knew this was her bottle unless it was needed for ‘medicinal purposes.’
“The ailing child watched the entire procedure so she knew it was for her, and her alone. She then went to the slightly darkened front room and lay under a warm blanket on the couch sipping the beverage while being comforted by her grandmother until she went to a restful sleep.
“Cynics would merely dismiss this ‘folk medicine’ with scientific statements that the warm water from the tea was only hydration, the chamomile tea was a sleep aid, the honey was a very natural energy boost, and the VSOP brandy was the equivalent to the pain relief of an aspirin.
“The fact that the girls in their 40s selected those cups from among the jewelry and other items tells me that the love of a grandmother did as much, if not more, for the children than a sterile medical regimen.
“By the way, my ‘kitty cup’ is already in my glass-enclosed cabinet in my home.”
Thanks for sharing this beautiful, loving tradition.
Anyone else have a special memory you’d like to share? This is the place, “After Hours”!
Sign up for the free IB Update – your weekly resource for local business news, analysis, voices, and the names you need to know. Click here.
