Word #34. Aroma.

The lilacs are in bloom now in Colorado. I couldn’t resist pressing my face into them and inhaling the aroma. It took me right back to my childhood in  Washington State and those weekends we’d go raspberry picking amidst the lilac bushes.

Lilacs conjure up happiness in me.

The anatomy of our brain intricately connects smells with memories and emotions.

For this reason, I’ve used aroma as a parenting tool. It’s one of the easiest ways for me to make deposits into my children’s bank of memories – the bank they’ll draw upon throughout their lives.

I’m hoping the smell of blueberries muffins baking or garlic and onions sizzling will trigger the feeling of “home.” And lavender will bring a sense of comfort. Maybe those eucalyptus bath salts will remind them they are so loved.

I do know as my nest empties this summer, I may crawl into their closets and simply smell what’s left behind of their childhoods.

Gratitude may end up smelling like worn out sneakers.