Some things, once set down, make life taste better.
Hawthorn has a vivid sweet-and-sour flavor that always brings candied hawthorn skewers to mind.
Every time she went shopping and saw candied hawthorn, a girl would think of going out with her family as a child.
Back then, happiness was simple.
One skewer of candied hawthorn and an afternoon stroll could keep her happy for a long time.
As she grew up, though, she began making life complicated.
She worried about others' opinions, minded every gain and loss, and couldn't bear to let go of things that no longer suited her.
Until one day she bit into a candied hawthorn, puckered at the sourness — and then laughed.
Life, after all, has both sour and sweet; not every bite has to be perfect.
Care for yourself well, arrange your life well, and good things will slowly increase.
This series is a creative work inspired by traditional herbal culture, plant imagery, everyday stories, and wordplay, offered as companionship for the heart and an invitation to self-reflection. It does not constitute Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis, medication advice, or guidance for the treatment of disease.
