This blog post is from 2019 and one of the favorites from the past sixteen years. I thought it could take our minds off of the world news.
My three month doctor's check up was last week and I arrived early as
changes had to be imputed regarding my insurance. The young clerk was
typing in the information from both insurance cards when I noticed there
were tears running down her face. She apologized and told me that I
smelled like her grandmother.
Now, one could be offended at such a statement but I knew exactly what
she meant. I told her it was the Wind Song cologne and that my mother
had liked the same fragrance. She had received it as a gift at one time
and wore it only when going someplace special. The receptionist shook
her head and said she was going to call her grandmother as soon as she
arrived home from work... with tears still in her eyes.
I have worn a few different perfumes through the years, coming from
perhaps one of the last generations of women who chose a signature
fragrance. As a teenager I loved Heaven Scent and Musk Oil before
deciding upon Channel #19 for a few years. I tried a few other scents
off and on but it was Tresor that I settled upon for the next few
decades until I developed a sensitivity to strong fragrance.
However, when I saw the gift box of Wind Song on clearance at Meijers
after the Holidays, I knew I had to buy it to remember my mother. I was
pleasantly surprised to find it so light that it had no adverse affect
at all. So these days I like to spray a little on when I'm getting
"dressed up"... which I still do for doctor's appointments.
I have long been interested in how aromas can take us back to a time and
a place as if time had not passed at all. The combined smell of bacon
and coffee in the morning always remind me of my mother's kitchen, no
less than the aromas of Thanksgiving can take me back to many family
get-togethers.
Often when I make cinnamon rolls, I remember the friends as well as
family members who were happy when I would serve them. Sometimes still a
little warm from the oven so the aroma of cinnamon was quite strong
throughout the house.
The spicy aromas of ginger and nutmeg, the citrus scents of oranges and
tangerines, the waft of pine that one smells when entering the home
where a freshly cut Christmas tree resides... all come together to
remind me it is the much beloved Christmas season.
Of course, memories are attached to scents other than those related to
food. To this day, if I smell the original Coppertone suntan lotion... I
am sixteen years old, the radio is turned to WLS Chicago (back then it
was a top 40 station, not talk radio), and it is a summer full of warm
sunlight, long days, and friends.
Another much beloved scent is that of woodsmoke in Autumn, after the
leaves have turned and it is that magical two or three weeks when the
light is golden and one can almost believe there are fairies in the
forest.. or Hobbits.
If the aroma happened to include that of Sweet Annie mixed with the
lingering scent of woodsmoke, then I am reminded of our favorite
Autumnal historical reenactment from the years the French settled in the
land, with voyageurs using the river as a super highway. I especially
loved to attend when the kids were at home. I almost always bought a
small wreath of Sweet Annie just before leaving for the shuttle bus to
the nearest town where we were parked.
There is a reason Realtors tell us to have a ham in the oven baking when
showing your home to potential buyers... or to bake cookies before
buyers are expected. For there is something special about opening the
door to a house to the aroma of dinner on the stove or the anticipation
of homemade baked goods as their smells fill the air. These are the
scents of... home.
I still smile when I think of the receptionist at the doctor's office
and I have a feeling she did call her beloved grandmother when she
arrived home that day. I've wondered if she told her the scent of a
lady wearing Wind Song cologne sparked the phone call. Her reaction
certainly sparked these ponderings.
Image: Warming up in Badger's Kitchen by Chris Dunn
8 comments:
This was precious! My Mom’s favorite perfume was White Shoulders. I kept the last bottle I had given her for her last Christmas….just because. My favorite fragrances have changed so many times over the years! Don’t know that my kids or grand-babies will associate any particular fragrance with me! But, who knows, maybe the smell of lilacs or lavender will remind them of me!
I love Wind Song. It smells like a wonderful soap to me. I wore it in high school and beyond. How nice for the young woman's grandmother to receive a call from her granddaughter. It all worked out.
We need some minor diversions. So many stories, so many lies, so much propaganda. Who knows what to believe?!
I grew up in a small farming community in southeastern Minnesota. As we cruised the streets of our small town we listened to WLS and thought we were so cool. It was the only radio station that came in at night. MY friends from college had never heard of REO Speedwagon but I had...and then we moved to Champaign and I was very excited. Thanks for jogging my mind and the memories!! Jill
That is a sweet picture and I love the quote. Reading anything from R. Pilcher is a joy. Everything you wrote about aromas is very true and can easily transport me back in time... making me smile while filling me with memories.
Blessings, Linda
I can relate to those fragrances that you wore as a teenager. The Heaven Sent, Musk Oil, Jean Nate and Loves Baby Soft were some that I wore. I still have some of them, although I believe some now no longer smell the same because of reformulation, if you would buy them now. My mom started me on loving beautiful perfumes and I have quite a few more expensive ones along with the less expensive ones. Yes, the family member would have been notified since it brought back pleasant memories. Diane
Oh yes, scents do bring back memories. My husband's 45 year old original special glass jar of English Leather Lime developed a small crack and I hunted high and low to find that same scent in the stores. I finally turned to Etsy and found a bottle, but this jar did not come with the special wooden top!
And sometimes when I smell buttered popcorn, I think of the Sear's store at the Mall back in the day when they made popcorn in the appliance department for their customers!
What lovely memories! Thank you for sharing them. Scent is such a powerful trigger for memories. We had a scent box when I worked in the dementia unit of a nursing home. We'd let them smell lots of different things to see what memories they'd bring out.
What a lovely story and break from the turmoil. My grandmother wore Estee Lauder and White Shoulders. I still have a tiny bottle of it. Thank you for sharing. Hugs ~ Simply Donna E.
Post a Comment