As a child I spent a good amount of time with my maternal grandparents, especially my Mom’s Mother. We always had a great time and lot of her time was spent in the kitchen or doing work around the home. I loved to watched her work. And when she would pull out her worn and tattered recipe books I knew something awesome would be made. My grandmother had my mom at the young ole age of 40! My mom was the baby and had two older sisters 11 and 12 years her senior. My grandmother was born in 1922 and back then being African American, Living on a farm you had to make a lot if not most things that you wore, consumed or used medicinally. So by the time my brother and I came around in 1986, I would say confidently that she had YEARS of experience on healing the body through herbs and other things found in nature (even bugs) but that’s a story in itself.

Tia’s Herbal Journey

Fast forward some years later, what really sparked my interest in natural and herbal alternatives was her passing away. At her funeral or what I like to call her Home-going Service, there was a special part in the service where family and friends had a chance to stand and share found memories of her. I loved hearing how she touched people’s lives and which only confirmed for me how AMAZING of a woman she was. But, the thing that really made me think or rethink on how we heal the body was my cousin Tony’s memory. He spoke about a time when his younger brother was really really sick. He had been to doctors and they couldn’t figure out what was going on. My grandmother one day came over. Asked some questions and then went out to her garden and cabinet and started mixing a concoction together for him. He was better in two days.

That story was such a profound moment for me. It really made me start to question the things I put in my body. Especially now that I am a wife and mom of two beautiful kids. I say all this, not to say that there is no room for modern medicine but that a lot of illnesses and diseases can be prevented or healed by using natural remedies first.