It rained again last night. There is a 40% chance of rain
every day this week. While this area was once a little dry, the yearly rainfall
behind the last year or two, it now has caught up. This afternoon a few hours
of sun came out. The air was fresh and cool and clean-smelling. We did some
deck sitting and watching wrens zing into the birdhouse, robins pull wiggly
worms from wet soil, and neighbors mowing while they had a window of chance. We
all were absorbing the sunshine while we could.
Once we finished our lunch, we both read. DH was finishing
American Sniper and I was reading searching
for sunday: loving, leaving, and finding the church by Rachel Held Evans.
This has been a tremendous read, the kind of book you read through once and
then read again to underline meaningful passages to remember. The author was
reared in an evangelical church in Tennessee. She went on a church odyssey
before settling into an Episcopal congregation. In her book she works her way through the
sacraments along the way.
In the chapter on anointing the sick, Evans gives a history
of oils used in religious context. She recalls that when Moses went to Mt.
Sinai, God sent him down with an oil recipe. (News to me.) Says Evans,”…the
Creator knew…that the olfactory nerves is connected to the amygdala, the part
of the brain associated with memory and emotion, which is why fragrance…or
scent…can suddenly flood a body with a memory…Got wanted his people to know his
scent. He wanted them to remember.”
The author introduces us to Thistle Farms, an enterprise
that trains and helps women suffering from addiction, abuse, or sex trafficking,
etc. They support their programs from smelling oils and fragrance items based
on lavender, tea tree, mint, and vanilla. I urge you to check out their online
sight here at: http://www.thistlefarms.org/
I know smell is important…baking smells can sell a house. Cinnamon
can help students do better on a test. Lavender is relaxing…soothing on a
pillow, in a bath, or anywhere. My first baby had a musky scent that he still
carries slightly. It was reminiscent of my Granny’s own musky skin. Double
Bubble gum makes me see my paternal Grandfather. Old Spice WAS my dad. Juicy
Fruit gum was my mom’s favorite and the lining of every purse smelled sweet and
like a stick of gum. The smell of bacon frying can bring DH up out of a deep sleep!
What about you? A favorite smell or meaningful one in your
life?
4 comments:
Scent is very powerful.
Cinnamon takes me home to my mother's kitchen, when she was still cooking before she dived into the pit of alcoholism. A bitter-sweet memory.
Weird, but I love the smell of a damp basement, but not musty. Reminds me of grandma's house.
Weird, but I love the smell of a damp basement, but not musty. Reminds me of grandma's house.
Lilacs remind me of my Memere. Hairspray reminds me of my mom (she'd hate that---lol) but also Crabtree & Evelyn's Spring Rain. I wear it because Mama did, I love the scent, and it's like I have her with me all the time.
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