The Scent Of A Memory

 I have always been a sentimental person. I love seeing an old picture and remembering back on my past. Hearing a relatives laugh, for instance, can bring back so many laughable moments with them at holiday parties and family get togethers. A lot of things can trigger a memory but it's the scent that gets me the most. It's like an old friend has magically appeared to tell a story of another place and time. Every time I smell flowers I think of visiting my great grandmother in the nursing home or holding tight to a young James in his tux at prom. Walking through the baby aisle at the store filled with plastic bottles and baby lotion reminds me of the time I became a mother. The sweet smell of my newborn daughter was intoxicating and I would catch myself smelling her sweet smelling head more times than I could count.

My sweet Gracie Ann.

 This week I had an ache in my heart for my wonderful grandmother we lovingly refer to as "Mawmaw". The smell of bacon and cabbage cooking in my home brought it on. I thought to myself "LaShae, you do this a lot." So I started to think back on more things, more scents. James recently bought a new cologne that makes me think of the younger James that I dated. The smell of a cold crisp morning with a little hint of ice reminds me of all our adventures in Alaska. My new woodsy candle reminds me of our times in the Carolina Pines.

My sweet Mawmaw with her great grandchildren.

We sent a box of Korean goodies to my family in Alabama for Christmas. One of the goodies was a pack of fish sausages. I made sure to tell them all that this was the "scent of Korea". A scent we smell daily because of the Korean love for fish markets and laying out trash everywhere.  It's amazing to me that so many different scents have an impact on my life. From scents that bring up memories of the past to scents we live with everyday that one day will become a trigger to a memory.

I could go on and on about the scents of my life. How the smell of a perm and hairspray remind me of my Momma or walking into a home that smells of cigarettes reminds me of my Great Aunt Verline and family reunions. I know this all would bore you because you have no deep connection with it all. Yet, I would love to hear of your "scent" memories. I find it fascinating to hear other peoples stories. Are your memories triggered more by sight or sound? Or are you like this sentimental gal who bases her memories around smells?

My mother and her perfectly curled hair.