They say that our sense of smell is our biggest memory trigger.
I would tend to agree. All other senses deteriorate with age, but smell? I don’t think it really does.
Certain fragrances cause a turmoil of emotions, bringing up memories of past experiences and associations.
No one much wears it now, but the perfume L’Airs du Temps perfume reminds me of my grandmother (Mom’s mom). She wasn’t a fancy woman by any standards. She was proper. She was a southern lady. She had 11 brothers and sisters and they grew up very poor. She had her hair set every Thursday. She liked going out to eat. She could cook amazing breakfasts. She loved watching The Price is Right. I awoke to the fragrance the day she died and just knew.
Red Delicious apples remind me of summer afternoons with my father. We would eat tuna salad with Wheat Thins or leftover cold fried chicken (from Church’s) with Pringles and apple slices. I prefer Rome apples, but my daughter, Elizabeth, likes Red Delicious and every time I cut one for her, the scent brings back so many memories of those lunches with my dad.
Peppermint candies remind me of my grandma (Dad’s mom). She always had mints in her purse. She was always sucking on them. She had always smoked, so I think she had those mints for when she couldn’t have a cigarette. She was a regal working lady with hats and gloves and matching accessories. She always looked perfect. She took sarcarm to artistic levels, but she was never mean. She was the godliest and loneliest woman I’ve ever known. Elizabeth looks just like her.
When I was at Essential Oil Beauty School, Dr. Cole Wooley did a little experiment while teaching about oils and emotions.
He had panels of volunteers smell certain oils and describe their memories and feelings.
He used orange essential oil.
He asked a panel to close their eyes and describe their earliest memory of the scent.
The audience was amazed how far back the memories went.