Do certain smells trigger a rush of memories for you? Is there a favorite scent that you associate with your children? These wonderful smells can bring back delightful memories of their childhood. Can’t they?
Back in February, I wrote a post about the sounds I have missed since the kids have moved away called The Sounds of the Empty Nest. Have you ever given much thought about your sense of smell? Do certain smells trigger a rush of memories for you? It happens to me quite a bit and I love to associate meaningful smells with a memory or an event in my life. Do you know the scent of a dozen roses? How about the smell of the newspaper on a Sunday morning? The delicious odor of coffee brewing? An apple pie in the oven? What are your favorite smells? These thoughts lead me to a story…
Recently, I went to a grocery store that I have not been to in a long time. I was driving by and needed a couple of things and instead of driving across town to Trader Joes or Whole Foods, I stopped in to Albertsons.
As I was walking by the deli, the aroma of fried chicken permeated the air. This specific smell took me back to when I used to go there to buy my son Nick his favorite chicken fingers. I bought them occasionally for him as a “treat”. Even though he knew that I didn’t want him to eat foods like that, they were still one of his favorite foods! As I strolled by, the memory of him and how he would come home from high school at lunchtime, starving and looking for food, was so powerful. I remember how I loved to see his smile when I pulled out the familiar white bag with his beloved chicken fingers.
This incident spurred on other smell memories.
The smell of my daughter Alex’s perfume. I have a bottle here at our house and sometimes I spray it just to have the smell of her here again.
Water Babies suntan lotion is such a distinct memory from their childhood. Do you remember how as young children they would pull away from you as you tried to apply the sunscreen?
The smell of grass stains on his baseball pants.
The smell of her hair after it was shampooed.
The smell of chocolate chip cookies.
The smell of gingerbread cookies.
The smell of “man bodywash” when Nick was a teen.
The smell of Domino’s pizza delivered on a Saturday night.
Now that the nest is Empty, the memories of the smells of their childhood seem to be stronger for me. When our children are younger, life is a flurry of activities, but now life is quieter and I have more time to ponder all of the cherished memories we have from their childhood.
If these recollections are happening to me, they must be happening to some of you as well.
