One day, when I was around eight years old, I asked her, “Grandma, why do we use these plants instead of medicine from the drugstore?” She smiled and said, “Because these plants are like old friends, Hazel. They’ll never let you down.”
As I grew older, those memories stayed with me like a thread gently tugging me back to that world. But life led me in a different direction. I moved to the city to study and build a career. I was ambitious and eager to see the modern world. And yet, as I immersed myself in the fast-paced city life, I began to feel increasingly disconnected. I worked long hours, ate on the go, and reached for quick fixes and pills for every minor ailment. But deep down, I knew something was wrong.
It wasn’t until I hit a brutal burnout that I realized I needed to reconnect with my roots. I remember sitting in my city apartment one day, feeling overwhelmed and drained, with a drawer full of pills but no real solution to how I was feeling. I decided to listen to that inner call and return to what my grandmother had taught me. I began to study herbalism seriously, immersing myself in the science and wisdom of plants as though I was reclaiming every lesson I’d forgotten. In time, I transformed my life. I experienced the benefits of natural remedies firsthand, finding that they didn’t just mask symptoms but went more profound, giving me a sense of balance I had lost. But the most surprising part was seeing how my family and friends responded to the remedies I made for them. That was when I knew I wanted to share this knowledge. I wanted others like you to benefit from healing that soothes symptoms and respects and nourishes the body.
Writing this book has been like inviting each reader into my kitchen, just as my grandmother once did for me. I didn’t want to create a list of remedies; I wanted to share a philosophy, a way of living that says no to synthetic solutions and yes to true, lasting wellness. This book isn’t an anti-medicine manifesto; quite the opposite. I believe strongly in the power of modern science. But I also think we should never lose touch with what is natural and simple, with that healing power that the earth so freely offers us.
Today, I live close to nature again, in a small house on the edge of a forest. My studio is a joyful mess of old books, journals filled with notes, jars of dried herbs, and little mortar and pestles. Every day, I make teas and oils with fresh herbs I gather in the woods, just like my grandmother did. I even have a small herb garden; every plant I grow has a story and a purpose for being there. When people ask me why I put so much care and passion into my work, I tell them it’s not just for my health but for anyone who wants to find a more profound balance. This book can guide you, just like the woods of my childhood were a guide for me. It’s not just a manual on herbalism; it’s an invitation to take your health back into your own hands, to care for yourself and your family in a loving, mindful way. I hope you, as a reader, will feel that this book is a gift, a bridge between past and present, between modern medicine and ancient wisdom.
If I’ve inspired you, then I know I’ve honored my grandmother and kept the promise I made to her so many years ago: to share the magic of plants with the world—that magic that never lets us down.
