The smell of memories

I was just cruisin' along on Facebook recently, when this crayon poster stopped me dead.

I have to admit, when I look at it, I can swear that I DO smell those broken Crayons! I can close my eyes and remember the feel of them, as I picked them up, choosing which one to use.

I can see and feel the texture of the coloring book, as I struggled to color inside the lines.

I remember how we peeled the paper off and used the "color" down to a nub.

Good memories!

For years, my sister-in-law, who has a Master's degree in Psychology, kept colors and coloring books handy at her house to use for herself.

As a breast cancer survivor, she was well aware of the importance of calming and soothing one's mind.

As a child, she had loved "coloring," so she knew the calming effect of that childhood pastime. What better way to help soothe the spirit than to retreat for a few moments into the past and recapture the old feelings?

Life was simple. Our parents were alive, our mother bustling in the kitchen, fixing dinner, our father sitting in the living room with the newspaper.

Life was good.

Funny how a certain smell can trigger a memory.

I don't often see Ivory soap anymore, but, on the rare occasion when I do, the smell evokes memories of my Grandma Giles, a tiny, neat lady, who wore her white hair up in a hair net. When she took the bus to town, she wore a hat and gloves.

My sister remembers the smell of a screen door and the memory of standing with her face to the screen, looking out at the world. What wonders lay outside that screen! There were squirrels, scampering in the trees, a neighbor dog, sniffing your hand, and--best of all--unexpected company, coming to visit!

Oh, the smells of the past...

From the cold, gray hills of southeast Missouri, this is your roving reporter, Madeline, seriously thinking she'll go through the kids' rooms to see if she can find that bucket of old Crayons! I could use a little comfort, until summer comes!