I picked up my son’s shirt off the couch, an act I had done what seemed like a thousand times before as I wander my way through the house. I smelled it, and it had his distinct smell on it, not the stinky sweaty smell of his workout clothes — those I don’t smell, but that scent he has developed over time.
He is away now and I miss him, smelling his shirt brought him into the room. Smell is one of the scents that we may not always talk about when it relates to our kids but there are lots of them.
When they place your baby in your arms you can’t help but smell them as you admire the wonder of nature you have created or have been given. You count their toes, fingers, admire their ears and stare and stare and stare, and you smell.
Babies have lots of great smells with all the lovely fresh scents of their skin, their clothing, blankets. And there are those not great smells especially the first few weeks who would of thought that horrible yuck could come out of a sweet baby. Robin Williams referenced it has having something to do with a plant in Cleveland. Then there is the regular poop, the spit ups, the regular body discharge that stinks. As a new parent, or experienced parent our joy of having a child push these uncomfortable scents to the back of our brain.
As they get bigger there is their smell of their foods as you try to prepare the most natural and healthy foods for them from mushed yams, carrots, bananas, that sweet smelling pablum.
Their bath time is a sweet time with bubbles, and special soaps, resulting in a pure so clean, fresh baby smell.
There are sweet pre-school smells with bath time, and food, and their exploring with crafts — crayons, painting, shaving cream art. The new body smells as their vomit could get stronger, and they discovered the joy of tooting and burping. There were new smells in their play as they discovered mud, sand castles, plastic toys, and snow. I loved the smell of them playing outside in the cold that stayed on their cheeks when they came inside. The lovely smell of the fresh flowers they would pick for me, from dandelions to lilacs.
There are new smells with school. Beairsto has a distinct smell of years of children being in the building: a blend of chalk, cleaners, kids, sweat, and a host of others blending together. The backpack has its new smell and then its old smells of stale lunches, sweaty shoes, treasures at the bottom of the bag.
New books have a great smell of a fresh printed pages. Old books can even be better as you wonder about the hands that have touched the pages, the eyes who have scanned the words as others share in the pleasure of reading a good story.
We went camping and there are lots of great smells with the outdoors, the smell of the forest, a lake, the river, the ocean all having their own unique scents. A campfire, the musky smell of the forest, burned marshmallows, coffee, hot-dogs.
There were the smells of doctor’s offices, hospitals, and the dentist. After-school programs, summer camps, day programs, sports programs, arts centre, science centre all come with their own unique scents.
Teenage boys can really stink no matter how many times they bathe. Especially those involved in sports, and their rooms, oh my. They learned how to do laundry and discovered the laundry fresh smell and learnt to appreciate their shirts hung up to dry outside, and that great smell.
High schools smell different from elementary schools. As they were older the smell of trying beer, cars, more cooking, jobs. The smell of acne creams, blood, ointments, shaving cream.
To have that fresh- faced skin grow whiskers was hard for this momma. When I look at these fine young men, whiskers and all, I am so proud.
They have their own personalities, charms, and smells. Smell is one more great way to trigger lovely memories and enjoy our world.
Michele Blais is a longtime columnist for The Morning Star.
