Do you know anyone with a signature scent?
My mom had one. For as long as I can remember, the warm, spicy scent of YSL’s Opium perfume was Mom’s calling card. She always wore it.
Even now when I’m anywhere and someone walks by with it on, I’m instantly reminded of Mom.
I can immediately feel her soft hands holding mine…
Or see of a vision of her dressed up ready for a dinner party with Dad…
Or I think of her dabbing happy tears on my wedding day.
Mom wore that perfume exclusively for as long as I can remember. I wonder if she realized what a gift the scent would be even after she was gone?
This Thanksgiving will mark 4 years without Mom. I still think of her daily. I miss her no-nonsense advice, and can’t help but wonder what she’d think about this pandemic. I’m so grateful for the wonderful childhood my parents gave me, and the small things that keep Mom’s memory alive, like her perfume.
Her bottle now sits on my nightstand. Most days it remains untouched. But on hard days, or milestone days like today (which would have been her 75th birthday), I open it up and take a deep breath.
It’s Mom’s signature scent. Comfort in a bottle.
The smell of hugs, and love, and home.
