The Smells of Life

In the past few days, I have had the pleasure and the joy
playing with these cute little angels.
They were a bursting bundle of energy,
which seemed to never run out.
At times, they were more impish than angelic. B
ut what fun it was.

One of the things I enjoyed about being with them was their scent.
The smell they exuded was redolent of newly mown grass.
They still had baby’s breathe,
which I can never have enough of.
The whiff of their, yes angelic, smell was truly invigorating for me.

I have been noticing these days,
specially when I am alone,
that I can detect a certain odor around me.
It is not an offensive body odor,
which I have never had a problem with.
But it was strange and different.
I would check and smell my clothes to check if it was my sweat.
I realized that it was what I was naturally emitting.
It was the same smell that I had of my grandparents when I was younger.
It was also the smell that Tatang had in his later years.
It is not as invigorating as a baby’s breathe.
But it was kinda reassuring.

One time, Jane (the only princess in the photo) said, “Lolo, you smell different.”
Me: “Is it a bad or an offensive odor?”
Jane: “No, it is just different.”
Me: “How would describe it?”
Jane: “It’s kinda like lemon.”
Me: “I like the smell of lemons.”
Jane: “Yes, but it’s rusty lemons.”

It is amazing how even such a mundane thing body odors
can show me how amusing, enjoyable and, yes, wonderful life can be.

If we only be a little bit more mindful
and pay close attention to life.