It’s a good idea to switch up your favourite reading genre every now and then, isn’t it?
Well… I think so.
Take me, for example —I enjoy fiction, mostly classics. But sometimes, I feel … not bored, but craving something different. It’s kind of like craving dessert after a heavy meal.
Over the last week, as I was reading one of Henry James’ books at a turtle’s pace, I decided to browse a book on home remedies. It turned out to be both interesting and funny.
It was interesting because the book offers simple, useful remedies that might make you think twice before rushing to see the doctor. And, it was funny because, sometimes, it includes folk remedies that are pure superstiton. Honestly, I don’t read it cover to cover… just pick some topics about common ailments.
One of the most interesting points these books both explain and emphasise is Hope. As I read, I can feel how their natural remedies reflect the idea that every illness has a remedy—the very thing I deeply believe in.
Here’s a quote about the exact point:
“For every ill beneath the sun
There is some remedy or none,
If there be one, resolve to find it;
If not, submit, and never mind it.”
Now, what do you do when you have a hiccup?
Here are two simple remedies:
“Think of your lover. If he loves you, you will not have it anymore.”
And in case he doesn’t, you can recite this old English verse:
“Hickup, snickup, stand up, straight up,
One drop, two drops—good for the hick-up.”
That last one gave my daughter and me hiccups as we burst into laughing when I told her about it!
With hope and peace,
Nahla
Pure and Simple 