Remember back to when you were a child. Can you remember the smell of your mother as she hugs you good night? Can you smell the summer winds after a midday shower? Remember the scent of your comforter as it protected you from the evening thunder storms. Close your eyes tight and remember all of the scents that make up significant memories.
This past week I have been thinking a lot about the importance of the sense of smell. It is an incredible gift that we have been given to help us determine what appeals to our inner desires. A certain smell can arouse emotions that have been locked up for years that we have completely forgotten about. For example, the scent of lilacs takes me back to running through my backyard as a child with my sister as my mother pulls the weeds in the garden. I never fully appreciated those bushes when I was younger, but I always take comfort when I smell them to this day.
I asked my co-worker what her favorite memory is related to a fragrance and she said cinnamon at Christmas time. It reminds her of her grandmother’s house. It is amazing to see people’s reactions when you ask them about these memories. It takes them away for a split second from the craziness of the day to a place of peace and joy.
I don’t usually have a call to action in my blogs, but I urge every person to ask another individual about a memory related to a scent. It might seem odd, but trust me, you will transport that person back to another place and time.
Always remember, fragrances are like starlight, they go on forever.
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Claire,
This is a lovely and thought provoking posting. Thank you. When I was a teenager, I first realized how smells are connected with memories. I had visited San Francisco and boarded a cable car for the first time ever. It was a Friday evening and the car was packed with seemingly happy people. As we ascended a hill, the cable slipped, causing clouds of blue smoke to rise from underneath the car. No one cared. We all just jumped off and helped to shove the cable car up the hill. What I remember to this day is the exotic smell of that smoke, believe or not, combined with the perfume of ladies on the car and the smell of whiskey on the breath of many.
You have a gift …
Claire;
Thank you for the interesting post. I bring a different perspective to these thoughts, however. I was born without a sense of smell. It’s not that I have a poor sense of smell; I have no sense of smell.
I thought it was interesting the way memories are connected to our olfactory sense. I’m wondering just how many memories I missed, or that weren’t made, because I have never smelled cinnamon at Christmas, bread baking in the oven, lilacs in the backyard, or my mom’s perfume.
Vicki,
Thank you for your comment. It is always nice to get another perspective. Do you have memories from your childhood that are centered around sound or touch? I think that your experiences are different, but you might have memories that would never have crossed my mind!
Thank you again for your comment and I look forward to interacting with you.
Claire