Elena M. (SLI) about Bathing

Even now, I shower often—in the morning and in the evening. I love soaking in the tub—I could do it every day. I like to add essential oils, or if I don’t have any, I’ll throw in orange or lemon peels into the hot water. The scent from the water—those oils are aromatic too—or with sea salt. It’s a relaxing feeling, and with the scent of the oil, the aroma calms you. The warm water feels good on your body. It’s a state of relaxation, rest, your mind clears. It lifts your mood—even if work was stressful, you forget about it. All the problems fade into the background.

In the village, we used to run to the river to wash up in the morning. I’m not a morning person, but Grandpa always woke us up: “Enough sleeping!” He always got us up early, and we’d run to the river to wash. We took our toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap with us, and if the water was really cold, we’d just splash our faces. But that refreshing chill, that coolness — it would wake you up instantly. The sun would be shining, and just like that, you wouldn’t feel like sleeping anymore. You’d want to run somewhere — to get bread or pick berries.