Ok, not really. . .
We all have those scents that when they waft into our life unexpectedly, they remind us of something. Like the smell of a certain perfume. . .or the smell of cotton candy. . .or a dog kennel. . .These are scents that when you smell them can immediately take you back to another place and time. I had one of those unexpected scents come up today and it got me thinking...
I was visiting my mom for reasons that I cannot say here, and was surprised to see a package from my grandma sitting there. The package wasn't for me, it was for Abby. It wasn't addressed to Abby, but what was inside it was for her. Grandma had sent some material to my mom so that she could make shirts for Abby. As soon as I opened the package, I pulled out the material and smelled it. I did this completely without thinking about it - it was pure reflex. And the material smelled exactly like my grandma. I couldn't stop myself from smelling each and every piece of material in the box. They all smelled like her. It was the perfect smell, the smell of home. I wanted so badly to take that box home and bury my head in for the night. But I didn't want my mom to think I was a lunatic, so I carefully placed everything back.
Grandma's smell isn't something I experience very often because she lives so far away. There was a time when I was younger when I saw her more, but life has gotten in the way of family visits. It is sad that I live so far away, especially now that they are getting older, and I am finally old enough to appreciate them properly. I had an interesting childhood (like most people these days). The family that I spent most of my time with wasn't my family - they were a combination of friends and the family of friends. And while I enjoyed their company, it was never the same as when I spent time with my bio-family. The place where you are always accepted regardless of what you have done or who you did it with. Where you can be scolded for something one minute and laughing the next. Where you yell and scream, slam doors and throw things, yet still be welcomed back time and time again. Your safe haven from the outside world.
Like I said, I had an interesting childhood. Some good, some bad. Somethings I never want to relive and somethings I would love to do again. And while my family was never perfect, they always loved me. And grandma was one of those people who "loved me best." Not that she loved me more then my cousins, but that she knew how to love me in ways that other people couldn't/wouldn't. She was always ready for a hug and always quick to dole out "I love you." She seemed to understand me in ways that other people never did. And the smell of her tonight brought back all those feelings of love and contentment and peace that I haven't really felt since I was a child.
I'm lucky that my grandma is still around and that she is healthy. Sometimes I joke about her being too healthy because she is already so ornery I couldn't imagine how ornery she would be at 90! But grandma is an amazing lady and I love her to pieces. My life would be immeasurably different if I had another grandma. And for good and bad, she had a huge part in who I am today.
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