smell, a place of comfort.

It's always this time of year that really pokes the memory bear for me.

We went to the sale barn to pick up some cows last weekend, and that room was chalk full of aroma. 

Aka - manure. 

And while I didn't mind it, it did get me thinking about smells being tied to memories. And I thought I would share a few of my own favorite ones. 

A barn scent reminds me of childhood chores, playing in the hayloft and horses. When I walk into our barn as an adult, I am flooded with sweet memories of imagination, family time on Sundays and hard work. 

The car exhaust makes me think of winter and the crunch beneath my snow boots walking to a car that my Dad (or brother) had started beforehand so the rest of us weren't freezing on the way to church. Unless we were running late, which - was most of the time. 

Office buildings trigger deep memories of hugging my Dad after he got home from work. His dress shirt fresh with the scent of computers and a lifelong career that wasn't fulfilling to him personally, but showcased his faithfulness in doing the next right thing that would provide for his family. 

Yankee Candle's 'Macintosh Apple' scent that was lit on the stove at Deb German's home, signaling the sweet gift of hospitality and the labor of a clean kitchen. 

Wood burning comforts me in a way that Shane's house on the hill did when I would visit him on the weekends during college. His embrace and that wood stove were a place of belonging for a girl who didn't know what path to take for a future career. 

Certain makeup scents remind me of my Mom's dresser and her confidence.  CoverGirl blush, concealer, earrings and lipstick were a reach away at all times. I loved watching her get ready, always ending the time with, "I'm cute today!". 

Breast milk smells take me back to sweet moments with Rhett in the middle of the night, and not so sweet moments of spit up that humbled me as a new Mama. 

Aren't our bodies incredible that a smell can trigger all that? 

Thanks, God. I'm grateful.