Sniff, sniff

Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Do certain smells make you feel instantly comfortable?

There is a smell that comes immediately to mind. It is a rose scented cream sold by Avon. I'm not even sure they make it anymore. I have 1 jar left that I bought about 5 years ago and I use it sparingly.  My mom always had a jar of this scented cream in her bathroom. I used to sneak in there just to open the jar and smell the wonderful fragrance. The scent always makes me feel young and safe, wrapped in love and security. 

Of course there are other smells that can instantly calm and comfort me. Fresh cut grass, vanilla, and impending rain (you know that one, right?) are all smells that bring comfort. But the one smell that is at the very top of my list (even above the rose cream) is one that is almost impossible to describe. It is so intensely personal that I debated (struggled) with the notion of including it in this post. It is that unique scent that is my husband. Sometimes, when the world is at it's worst, I just lean into his embrace and breathe in his scent. That smell that is him. I can't describe it better than that. It is safety and security. It is strength and warmth. It is the man I have loved since childhood, long before I understood what that word really meant. That smell reminds me that I am not in this battle alone. I am loved and treasured by one person who will never leave me. I am safe.

He doesn't like for me to post pictures of him, but this one should be okay. :)

What a beautiful, miraculous gift our sense of smell is. Stop and think about it for just a second. It is really amazing, not just the way we can distinguish smells, but how our mind, body, and heart can take that smell and connect to a memory and bring it to life in such a way that we physically respond to it. The comfort available to us just through a sniff of the right fragrance or aroma; What an incredible gift.