Scent-Induced Nostalgia

Do you ever experience a sudden, unexpected walk down memory lane at the smell of something familiar? I find it so fascinating how intricately connected our senses are with our brain. How can a smell trigger such emotion? I don't know the answer, but I know that I often smile at the unexpected, but welcome, journey that is induced in my mind!

Let me give you some examples of what I'm talking about.............

*If I smell White Diamonds perfume, I immediately think of Gran (my grandmother).....she has worn this perfume for as long as I remember!
*The dear man that Kevin worked with at First Atlanta wore a certain cologne. I don't know the name, but I can be in a mall and smell that scent and immediately think of Bill.

As you may or may not know, this time of year is cotton time in South Georgia. Cotton is everywhere! It is beautiful in the fields as it waits to be harvested. I've heard many refer to it as "Georgia Snow." A couple of weeks ago, I walked out of the house and the smell hit me in the face.....the smell of cotton! My mind immediately drifted back to late afternoons and evenings long ago when I would play in the cotton after it had been picked. When I was younger, my dad picked cotton and dumped it into trailers to be delivered to the gin. There were no such things as modules. My siblings, my friends, and I always looked forward to the cool fall temperatures and playing in the cotton......because they went together! We would jump from the edge of the trailer to land in a fluffly bed of Georgia Snow! What fun we had! So, that smell of cotton........that I know so well..........opened a gate of memories from times past. I came back inside and told Kevin that I could smell the cotton.....then I laughed, because I knew that very few people would walk out of their homes during this cotton season and "smell" the cotton. However, I am grateful for the experiences and memories that are a result of my upbringing........and grateful for the scents of life to remind me of them!