Lemon Balm for Comfort

Lemon balm, Melissa officinalis

Lemon balm’s message is that of comfort, even regeneration. Writing a memoir is not always a comforting task. We are looking at our lives to make sense of them, making an effort to understand how we got to where we are today, trying to pass on our lessons learned so that we and others might benefit. Lemon balm’s significance in the Memoir Garden is to remind us of the long-term benefit and sense of comfort or regeneration we’ll get from our writing.

The Latin species name “Melissa” means bee-leaf in Greek. The mythical Greek King Melisseus embodied the spirit of honey and beekeeping. It is said that lemon balm has healing and tonic properties similar to honey. The herb is used by aromatherapists to promote feelings of comfort and to rejuvenate the mood. Even Shakespeare seems to have known of the benefit of the aroma because, in the Merry Wives of Windsor, he wrote of lemon balm strewn on the floors before parties. The story goes that as the leaves were crushed under foot, the aroma made the guests merrier.

Lemon balm and honey bees play another role in our Memoir Garden. Because the herb attracts bees, more plants are pollinated and as there are more flowers, there is more beauty to behold.

Visit our Writer’s Store with its products for encouragement and sharing that feature many of the herbs from our Memoir Garden.