Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The aromas of life

This might sound silly, but I'm really thankful for the sense of smell.

I was going to write a post all about being thankful for candles, however, I decided that it even goes beyond that.

Candles are wonderful - the dim light, the warmth they can bring to a chilly room, the scents of the seasons. However, in general I think everyone would agree that the scents of candles are the best.

I just finished burning an autumn-spice candle and a coffee-scented candle my parents brought me back from Jamaica. My vanilla candle is almost out, and the lilac wax melter smells like springtime. I also just started burning a cranberry candle that is making it smell like Christmas, even though it's a little bit ahead of time.

They say that scent has the biggest tie to memory. That sounds interesting, because we normally think we use sight and hearing much more than smell. However, we smell things and create memories subconsciously, and I think that's why our sense of smell is tied so much to memory.

Smell is wonderful. Without smell, we can't taste - I know from the times I've been sick and have been unable to taste food because my nose is so clogged.

Smells can relax you immediately and make you think of good times - the smell of baking cookies, the scent of apple cinnamon on pinecones that remind you of the holidays, the smell of fresh-cut grass that immediately feels like the fun of summer.

Walking into a house that has a fresh scent makes you feel comfortable, but a bad smell can make you immediately tense up.

I'm so glad that I can experience life through so many different senses, including the sense of smell. It's a beautiful experience that we don't often think about, but I certainly appreciate the aromas of life.

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