STRICTLY OBSERVING: Salve-ation

As is customarily the case during the harshness of the cold winter months, as of lately, I have been battling more than my share of sinus infections and colds.  Whenever I am sick, I cannot help but think of my late great-great-aunt Hazel.  Hazel fretted incessantly every time anyone in the family was the slightest bit under the weather.  If you sneezed once, she would fill you full of Benadryl.  If your stomach was the slightest bit upset, she would force you to take Pepto Bismol, as my mother will tell you.  She didn’t exclude herself from the equation either.
Hazel was a firm believer in pain-relieving ointments such as Lanacane, Ben-Gay and everything between.  Her dresser could rival any pharmacy counter.  She applied so many balms to herself every night that it was amazing she didn’t slide out of bed.  However, of all the liniments she used, her favorite by far was Vicks Vapor rub.  According to its definition, the mentholated topical balm is designed to help alleviate minor symptoms that impair breathing in relation to the common cold.  It is most commonly administered to the chest and works best if inhaled just before sleeping.
I have no idea when Hazel first began using the product, but she must have become very accustomed to the smell of menthol.  I say that because as far back as I can remember, every night before bed, whether she had a cold or not, Hazel slathered on a healthy coating of “Vicks salve,” as she called it.  I, too, learned to love the scent because it reminded me of her.  However, unlike Hazel, I did not deem it a miracle drug.  Desperate to cure every scratch, bug bite or slight pain any of us had, if she didn’t have the right crème, she would simply tell us to “put a little Vicks salve on it.”
As the years have passed, my own supply of over-the-counter medications has grown to resemble that which belonged to Hazel.  So when I began to feel the cold symptoms overpower me, I started rummaging through my medicine chest to find a suitable remedy.  While doing so, I came across an economy size jar of Vicks Vapor rub, which Hazel had bought for me more than 10 years ago, just before she passed away.  I had just been thinking of how worried she would have been when I informed her of my being under the weather.  So it was ironic that I would run across this product, which I had unknowingly kept for so long.  It was even more amazing that, when I removed the lid, I discovered that the balm had kept its scent all this time.
So, with thoughts of Hazel, I applied a coating under my nose, just as she used to do.  Upon seeing me do so, my dad made an interesting observation that I was surprised I had not already concluded myself.  “Hazel always liked to look after you when you were sick,” he said.  “This way, she still is.” Although I credit my prescribed antibiotic for my recovery as opposed to the “Vicks salve,” I still would like to think that what my dad said was right.
A graduate of Wytheville Community College, Zach Cooley lives in Wytheville with his parents. Contact him at .