Day 35- Scented Goodbyes
Driving up to the daycare, I would have to coach myself in order not to cry. My sister didn't cry. Only the little kids cried. So, I taught myself a trick. My dad would give us both a big hug as he deposited us each morning. I figured out that if I hugged him long enough and inhaled just right, I could keep the smell of his after shave lotion with me, at least until the bus fumes erased it, sometimes longer. This scent kept me safe and protected long enough to make friends and navigate this new daycare world. After that, it was just a daily reminder that my dad was always with me.
*****
My mom had a white bottle of lotion with a turquoise cap and matching little turquoise squiggles all over it. She used it often, especially on hot summer days when she came in from gardening and had to scrub vigorously to remove the day from her hands. Afterwards, she'd slather on the lotion. I have no idea what the scent was or how to describe the smell, but it was wonderful. It smelled like Mom. Sometimes I'd sneak into her bathroom on school days in the dead of winter to steal a bit of lotion. The scent would linger on my hands even after the first washing, sometimes two, as a reminder that my mom and her sunny summer days were with me all day too.
*****
Now that I'm up for work every morning at the same time as Tom again, we get to spend a few minutes together before we go off into our own little worlds for eight hours. I cherish this time, even though I'm annoyingly perky to my husband at such an early hour, and he takes entirely too long in the bathroom. This morning I realized that there's one important thing I can accomplish before the sun rises. I hugged my best friend tight, inhaled just right, and kept him with me on the drive to work.
I really do believe that God gives us little reminders each day to count our blessings and to be thankful for the people we hold close to our hearts. The trick to finding them is simple. Just look.
Thank you, scented goodbye, you made my day.
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