Today is the third day of my five day exploration of the senses. Today’s sense is smell.
Some smells can make us gag, like my brother’s socks after he’s played tennis on a hot summer day. Some smells can warn us of danger, like a gas leak in the barbeque. But the most precious smells are those aromas that evoke poignant memories.
When I catch the fragrance of a rose I think of the day my husband proposed to me. I think of the love in his eyes every time he looks at me. I think of his devotion. I think of his faithfulness. I am warmed by these memories and our marriage is strengthened. Because of a smell.
Whenever I smell a chocolate cake cooking in the oven I’m taken back to my childhood when my mum used to bake. I treasure those memories. They fill me with thoughts of love and safety. This is not to say my childhood was a picture postcard one. Perhaps from the outside it might have seemed so, but without going into it, I can assure you it was not. But when I catch the waft of chocolaty goodness, I’m not transported to the ick in my past. Ick has no place with chocolate (unless you mix it with lycees or coffee, but that’s a whole other story). Instead I’m taken to the good places, the happy places, the places that warm my heart.
Philippians 4:8 says think of all that is good. God has given us a way to help us to do just that through the gift of smell.
What smells trigger good memories for you?
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13 comments:
The smell of a woodburning stove makes me think of home. My parents still heat their home with wood they cut themselves.
The scent of the beach makes me feel calm, happy and beautiful and I think of the trip my husband and I took to Myrtle Beach together.
Whenever I walk into my parent's house to visit, it seems my Momma always has something delicious cooking on the stove or in the oven. I think of her when I smell foods like roast and potatoes, cabbage rolls, homemade vegetable soup or homemade bread. Yum!
Yum! awesome triggers. The smell of a woodburning stove makes me think of camping :)
I am SO enjoying these posts Lynda. They are so thought-provoking and they cause us to look a bit deeper than simply 'scanning the blogs' to see what interesting things our friends are writing.
Hmmm... smells that trigger good memories for me....
The smell of fresh coffee and bacon (together). My Grandparents lived nearly 800 miles from us and when we'd travel there to visit, that was the smell of 'love' coming from the kitchen. To this day when I smell those two things together, it takes me back to waking up under heavy quilts on a cold morning, padding barefoot into the kitchen and sitting sleepily in a 'cane' woven kitchen chair, dangling my feet that wouldn't touch the floor, and watching my Grandmother work her loving 'magic' in the warm kitchen.
This is weird - but the smell of tomato plants in the hot sun reminds me of my Grandpa's garden and the blessing of him allowing me to help him pick tomatoes for dinner.
So many good smells - - thank you for the reminders! I'm off to smell some more! lol
This is great, I love the senses, it has so much to talk about, I think my scent that brings home to mind is Lemon, perhaps that is why I love lemon, my mom always dusted with lemon pledge, we lived on a dirt road so she dusted often, and always had to spray her rag with lemon pledge, so I smell lemon and always think of my mom dusting.
Hugs Love this post, Barbara
What a beautiful post! Sometimes I'll be caught off gaurd by memories that scents illicit. My favorite is that of strawberry's they remind me of childhood.
This is a lovely post. I am originally from the Caribbean and they are certain smells that so make me long for home :):):):):)
Have a blessed day
Vickie
Such a creative post!! It's amazing how different smells conjure up distant memories...Blessings to you!
When I smell shoe polish I always think of my dad getting ready in the morning. He is retired Army and he always kept his boots polished. I would just sit next to him and watch him polish his boots for at least an hour. Great memories!!!
Hi there, When I smell lilacs in bloom it reminds me of the two bushes my mom had when we had land. I love fragrant flowers and often when I smell a rose-especially Double Delight it reminds me of my sister(who is home with the Lord)because she had about 3 dozen rose bushes.
Thank you for sharing this-brings sweet thoughts into my mind.
Hugs, Noreen
It's amazing the different smells that trigger different things. The stories you've all shared are so special. Thank you so much for sharing them :)
This might sound odd, but the smell of moth balls reminds me of my grandmother's drawers and all the special things she kept there. One of my favorite memories was going through her drawers and having her tell me stories about old items therein.
I love the smell of a pipe. It reminds me of my father. I use to sit in his lap while he would read and he would smoke his pipe. I always thought it smelled heavenly. Funny how smells trigger thoughts!
Elizabeth, that's such a treasure to have. I never got a chance to know any of my grandparents.
Rose, after reading your comment I tried to think of a smell that reminded me of my father and I couldn't come up with anything. Then it came to me: the smell of deisel. Odd, I know, but it reminds me of a time the family crammed themselves into a tiny light aircraft for a holiday of island-hopping up the coast. The smell of deisel made me feel sick but dad had such a passion for flying back then. He even let my brother and me steer (or at least let us think we steered).
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