For the Love of Lavender

 

Before I met my first bottle of essential oil, I thought lavender was something for sachets in dresser drawers, or perfume on older ladies. My only experiences with lavender had probably been with produced synthetic fragrances claiming to be lavender – but really, they weren’t even close. But once I met lavender in its pure form, I loved it immediately. And all these many years-of-oils later, lavender remains one of my favorites and an oil that we do our best never to be caught without.

            I’ve seen these words used to describe lavender: gentle, restorative, soothing, peaceful, delicate, and calming. It has been all those things in our home for almost a decade now.

            In the evenings when our hearts beat fast with anxiety, we make sure the diffuser is topped off with lavender before we sleep. When Ryan’s arm clipped the side of the grill the other night, we went straight to the lavender to soothe the burn. When my ankles puff up from mosquitos munching on me, I calm the itch with some lavender oil. Ryan adds it to melted coconut oil when he gives me a back or shoulder massage, and I wear it sometimes as a calming perfume when I’m about to speak in public.

            We have found it to bring all the calm you hear it can provide. And while it calms, it's gentle in its aroma. For us, anyway, it never feels overpowering, like some scents can be. It doesn't hurt that it is one of the more cost-effective oils we've ordered. Our budget appreciates that!

            While I love my lavender in oil form, I know some people like lavender in cooking. Lavender cookies, syrups for coffee and tea, and extract in other dishes are popular choices. I’m truthfully a bit surprised I haven’t tried cooking with lavender yet, but I haven’t. Maybe one of these days I will!

            Whether or not I get around to cooking with lavender, I am determined to visit a lavender farm sooner rather than later. Only recently have I learned that there are some farms not too far from where we live, so it seems like a more attainable visit than when I thought all the farms were hundreds or thousands of miles away. I cannot imagine what it would be like to stand in that sea of purple flowering beauty and inhale…but one day I will know!

            Lavender is a constant around here, and I know I’ve only scratched the surface of all its properties and abilities. I plan to keep researching and learning what it can do and how we can use it effectively. In the meantime, I am going to keep appreciating its soothing aroma.

            Are you a lavender fan?