My niece fell asleep in my lap. For a short while I let her use me as a substitute for her mattress and then it became necessary to move her to her bed.
I carefully picked her up and moved her to her bed. I must have jostled her just a little because she woke up long enough to mutter in my ear “you don’t smell like daddy.”
It made me smile because for a moment I realized that I had the perfect opportunity to tell my brother-in-law that his daughter thinks he stinks. I was all set to hand him some deodorant and a towel and then I thought better of it.
In truth it was because my father happened to be close by and I realized that I could smell his cologne and it occurred to me that if I close my eyes for a moment I can smell him just as I can smell my grandparents and my mother.
Smell is an amazing sense. I am forever amazed by how a scent can trigger so many memories. I wonder what my children think I smell like.