When I grew up in Persia, my father frequently had a runny nose and always had a handkerchief in his pocket. I inherited the runny nose and I used to carry a big white cloth handkerchief in my pocket until the preteen age dictated otherwise.
Then came disposable tissues. I remember the fancy containers that my mother bought for the tissue boxes. “Welcome western culture to Persia,” and “goodbye to cloth handkerchiefs.”
My father continued using his handkerchief, even though it was an embarrassment to his teenage daughter. He believed that the dust particles in the tissues would make his allergies worse.
A few years ago, I noticed that there were hypoallergenic facial tissues available. Does this mean that other types of facial tissues are bad for people with allergies?
Several months ago, I started using my old napkins. They appeared old, but they were soft and perfect for use as a handkerchief. However, I was not sure that I could get rid of my old habit of using facial tissues.
I love the feeling of soft cloth on my face. I love the fact that using a cloth handkerchief is environmentally friendly and that no tree will be cut for wiping my nose.
I searched at many stores but could not find any handkerchiefs, so I started looking online. There were many choices for “gentlemen’s handkerchiefs.” I learned that I needed to search for “ladies’ handkerchiefs.”
Now, I am the proud owner of ladies’ handkerchiefs with my own initial – M.