Do you smell that? Part I

There is nothing like the sound of your husband saying “I do” at the alter or your baby’s first attempt at “mama.” Nothing could replace seeing the 10 tiny fingers and 10 tiny toes of your children for the first time. There is nothing more delicious than wedding cake being stuffed into your mouth or the taste of sticky mashed banana kisses. And what could possibly feel better than you husband’s hands on the kicks of a pregnant belly or the softness of your newborn baby’s silky tuft of hair? I don’t know if anything could replace these experiences. The feelings that resurface when a irreplaceable memory is brought to the forefront of your mind is indescribable.


But, for me, it’s the nose that knows.


You know what I mean. Maybe it’s the smell of spring rain that takes you back to being a worn out kid in your front yard. Or perhaps the smell of bus exhaust immediately takes you back to those elementary school field trips of community plays and Happy Meals. When it comes to me and my nose, I could go on for hours. There are so many smells that evoke such poignant memories that I feel that if I could bottle them up, I would be able to tell my life’s story. Line all of the containers in a row across the counter, from day 1 of year 1 to day 1 of year 28 - oh the tales I would tell.
A whiff of Rave hairspray takes me back to my bedroom as a sixth grade girl getting ready for my first middle school dance. Oh, the teasing and the feathering and the scrunching and the curling. And the amount of hair spray in the little room was enough to choke a horse. The purple eye shadow - or was it blue - smeared from lash to brow. The boys, I’m sure, were quite impressed.
If ever I am knocked unconscious for some odd reason, don’t worry with hunting down any smelling salts. No, grab a stick of the Dove original scent deodorant, and I’ll be up in no time. Because you see, every time I get even the slightest hint of that smell drifting my way, I’m in Disney World on my honeymoon in an instant. It’s unbelievable. There we are planning our day wondering if Magic Kingdom or Epcot will be a better choice. And honey, do we really need another Mickey Mouse shaped ice cream bar? Yeah, you’re right, we only have one honeymoon.
But then there is that shampoo. ..
A few weeks ago, my mom gave me a bottle of shampoo that she decided she wasn’t going to use. I opened the bottle and breathed in the sweet smell. Now for most people, that would have been a small second in 1 of the 24 hours of the day. But not for me. Because when the smell of that shampoo entered my nostrils, it tickled my memory and swept me back almost two years ago to the hospital room where I spent the almost 2 weeks leading up to Tot’s birth. And the next month held for me the most unbelievable adventure I have ever endured.
To Be Continued...