A few weeks ago, I told my journal that I was interested in finding examples of everyday magic. Sometimes it feels like my life and my journal are in cahoots, as whatever I write in my journal ends up in my life. Exception – lottery wins. I have tried.

Last week, I came down with the flu. The timing of the flu wasn’t great as I had my mum staying with me, and I worried about her immune system. Plus, we had a weekend in London planned. As I thought my aches and pains were just a symptom of me overdoing things, we went ahead with the London weekend. By Sunday, I was sick, and on Monday, Mum went home as I didn’t want her to catch whatever I had.

Last week was spent battling with aches, tiredness, a sore throat, sneezing, coughing and limited sleep. This morning, my symptoms were no better.

Medication wasn’t shifting this damn illness, so I turned to food. I’d read some posts about the magical powers of food, but never quite believed. My husband bought the ingredients for a recipe which promised to send the flu bug running:

Ingredients:

Water

Ginger (fresh, 1 inch)

Black peppercorns

Cloves

Honey

Lemon

You put all the ingredients in a pan and simmer for 10 minutes. After you strain the liquid and make a tea.

It’s the kind of tea that smells like care itself; that seems to hum inside you and whispers: rest, breathe and let go.

I have spent the day drinking this special tea while wrapped in a blanket. This tea has done more for me in a few hours than those medications have done in days. Tonight I feel like my old self and earlier this afternoon I managed a little nap without coughing.

This feels like a good example of everyday magic and thought it was worth a blog post x