Friends from Chile
Farewell, Chilean Friends
A love story, of sorts, involving my husband's feet.
My husband came bounding into the kitchen the other day, lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. He pulled up a chair beside me at the computer and announced, with genuine delight, "You are not going to believe this. My Chilean Friends... are almost gone."
Let me explain the Chilean Friends.
For fourteen years — fourteen! — my sweet husband has carried a stubborn little trio of plantar warts on the soles of his feet. Somewhere along the way he started affectionately calling them his "Chilean Friends," the way you might nickname a houseguest who has badly overstayed their welcome. He tried all sorts of things to evict them over the years, back before we were even married. Nothing worked. Eventually we simply... stopped noticing them. He said he only really felt them when he walked barefoot across a hard floor.
So what changed? Nothing on purpose, honestly. All through cold-and-flu season, my husband had gotten into the habit of rubbing a little oregano oil on the bottoms of his feet at night — his cozy ritual for staying well. He wasn't thinking about the Chilean Friends at all. And then one evening he glanced down and realized two of the three were simply... gone. The third, nearly. And because he'd been applying the oil with his hands, a small stubborn spot on the side of his hand had quietly packed its bags right along with them.
Now — was it the oregano oil? Or fourteen years of his body finally deciding that enough was enough? I truly can't tell you, and I won't pretend to (these things do sometimes clear up on their own, and I'm nobody's doctor). But my husband is thoroughly, gloriously convinced — and after fourteen years of those little freeloaders, I am not about to argue with the man. We're just rejoicing they are gone!
And can I say: we adore Chile. We love our real Chilean friends dearly. It is only these particular Chilean friends — the uninvited, faintly parasitic sort — that we are delighted to wave goodbye to.
Which brings me to Australia
This past year I found myself in Australia, and we set off on a gorgeous hike through the Blue Mountains — all sweeping views and eucalyptus and postcard scenery. Right up until I lost my footing, stepped clean off the path, and planted my bare foot, flip-flop and all, squarely into a pile of black, fly-infested, swamp-like muck so foul I can summon the smell to this day.
Reader, I had to keep walking in that flip-flop for a solid mile before we reached a river where I could rinse the wretched stuff off. And do you know the one thing that kept me from completely losing my composure? Picturing the little bottle of oregano oil waiting for me back at the resort. My dramatic herbalist brain had decided it was my salvation, and I clung to that thought the entire squelching mile home. The moment we made it back, I gratefully dabbed some (well diluted!) onto my feet and felt a wave of pure relief wash over me. Ahhhhh.
Speaking of which — a quick word from your friendly neighborhood herbalist, because I learned this one the slightly-too-warm way. Oregano oil is what we call a "hot" oil. It's potent, and used undiluted it can genuinely irritate or even burn the skin, especially on little ones. So these days I always dilute it well in a carrier oil first — a drop or two in a spoonful of fractionated coconut oil — before it goes anywhere near my feet or my children's. Same comfort, none of the ouch.
Mostly, this whole silly little saga just left me grateful. Grateful for good food as our foundation, and grateful for a few good oils in my natural toolkit for everything in between. And grateful, of course, to be officially down three Chilean Friends.
Farewell, little freeloaders. We truly won't miss you.
With much love, Steffanie
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This post shares our personal experience only and is not medical advice. Essential oils are potent — always dilute "hot" oils and follow safe-use guidelines, especially with children — and please see a healthcare provider for anything that concerns you.
This past year I found myself in Australia, and we set off on a gorgeous hike through the Blue Mountains — all sweeping views and eucalyptus and postcard scenery. Right up until I lost my footing, stepped clean off the path, and planted my bare foot, flip-flop and all, squarely into a pile of black, fly-infested, swamp-like muck so foul I can summon the smell to this day.
Reader, I had to keep walking in that flip-flop for a solid mile before we reached a river where I could rinse the wretched stuff off. And do you know the one thing that kept me from completely losing my composure? Picturing the little bottle of oregano oil waiting for me back at the resort. My dramatic herbalist brain had decided it was my salvation, and I clung to that thought the entire squelching mile home. The moment we made it back, I gratefully dabbed some (well diluted!) onto my feet and felt a wave of pure relief wash over me. Ahhhhh.
Speaking of which — a quick word from your friendly neighborhood herbalist, because I learned this one the slightly-too-warm way. Oregano oil is what we call a "hot" oil. It's potent, and used undiluted it can genuinely irritate or even burn the skin, especially on little ones. So these days I always dilute it well in a carrier oil first — a drop or two in a spoonful of fractionated coconut oil — before it goes anywhere near my feet or my children's. Same comfort, none of the ouch.
Mostly, this whole silly little saga just left me grateful. Grateful for good food as our foundation, and grateful for a few good oils in my natural toolkit for everything in between. And grateful, of course, to be officially down three Chilean Friends.
Farewell, little freeloaders. We truly won't miss you.
With much love, Steffanie
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This post shares our personal experience only and is not medical advice. Essential oils are potent — always dilute "hot" oils and follow safe-use guidelines, especially with children — and please see a healthcare provider for anything that concerns you.
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