Sweet Basil

January is National Soup Month so in its honor I made home made chicken noodle soup and rolls.
Not the most original soup out there but it warmed the kids' toes on a wintry day and was spicy enough to make them sniffly. I was rifling through my spices to find some Basil to add to the soup but I didn't have any on hand.
I suddenly remembered a box of herbs and spices that I brought back from my mom's house the summer before last. With bittersweet feelings, I spent 3 months there closing up her house and going through her belongings. Some items made me laugh, some flooded my mind with memories, others made my eyes mist and some made me question her taste.

When I got to the kitchen items, I went through all of the spices that she so carefully planted, harvested, dried and bottled in her vintage Ball jars with zinc lids. Some were not marked so I had a sniffing test which ruined my sense of smell for a while. She never liked her handwriting but I always told her that it is part of history and she should write rather than type so we don't lose the personal touch. There is comfort in the written word - being able to see one's hand writing.

As I lifted jars and plastic bottles out of the bin today, I inspected each. Some were store bought and had labels and others were in vacuum sealed pouches, unmarked.
I looked for Basil, hoping I'd find some and as I turned over the last blue jar, on its label in deliberate and beautiful, crooked hand writing were the words "Sweet Basil."

Chicken soup was good for my soul today.