Perfume

Do you ever notice how scents can affect you? Some smells remind us of childhood, some of a person that we love, some of a place that we have visited. There are pleasant smells and not-so-pleasant smells and memories to match. I often get teased because the smell of a dairy reminds me of childhood and I therefore say that it smells “good.” Then I find myself explaining that there is a sweet cow/alfalfa smell about dairies that is good, even if some dairies and stockyards smell absolutely horrible.
Spring is in the air in Southern California. We’ve had intermittent rain showers that clean the air and stimulate new growth. The trees and flowers emit a bouquet of scents that are strong enough to make me sneeze, but are enjoyable none-the-less. It is a good reprieve from the smoggy smell of this area.
I went to my parent’s house last weekend and enjoyed the smell of the orange trees blooming. Then we took a drive up to my Grandparent’s. Of course, we had the windows of the truck closed the whole way, so when we opened the doors we were hit by the mountain air. The pine, oak, and other green things mixed with the brisk freshness that is at that altitude was a beautiful perfume.
Lord, thank you for blessing us with the sense of smell and for allowing us to enjoy some scents so very much.