Some of my most poignant  memories are surfaced by scent. The smell of scones takes me back to my grandmother’s house, to her red stoep in the back yard overlooking her garden and the lemon tree. I can smell that lemon tree – that particular one. I can also smell the adjacent outdoor laundry sink filled with clothes that were being rinsed in fabric softener and the cream white linen on the washing line swinging in the Port Elizabeth wind. 

I can smell the scent of the ocean in the distance and all of it just culminates into the feeling of home.

It’s insane, I remember all these things, all the memories, my cousins and I chasing each other down passages at home and at my grandmother’s house… all because of scent. It’s the nose that does the work. 

According to the Harvard Gazzette article, “The Nose Knows”, Smells are handled by the olfactory bulb, the structure in the front of the brain that sends information to the other areas of the body’s central command for further processing. Odours take a direct route to the limbic system, including the amygdala and the hippocampus, the regions related to emotion and memory. 

And when reading “What Happened To You” by Dr Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey, I found that scent is a trigger of good and bad memories the major finding amongst Dr Perry and his college is that your history of relational health – connectedness to family, community, and culture – is more predictive of your mental health than your history of adversity… Connectedness has the power to counterbalance adversity.

An Aha Moment!

These findings have been at the very foundation of how memories are created in our home. Scent, sight, connectedness, words of affirmation and touch.

Scent I must admit, being the best foundation of creating lasting memories.

Before all my kids were born, I washed and cuddled with what would be their soothing buddies (teddies and blankies). This would assist with making them feel like mom was near even if I wasn’t in the same room. It gave them comfort and resulted in longer nap times. 

My trick now? Washing our clothes in Comfort’s range of long lasting fragrance and softness fabric conditioner. My favourite being the Morning Fresh and the Uplifting, I’m guaranteed the family will enjoy a little bit of home everywhere they go. And mommy stays with them even when they are at school with the bursts of endless fragrance just a whiff of the soft jersey away. 

And rest assured, with Comfort, not only is the packaging recyclable, but your clothes are protected against damage, they feel & softness, your clothes are protected against colour fades and my favourite is that your clothes are super easy to iron.

In a world of so much going on and a lot of stress, may our homes be safe havens and full of the most positive and love-filled memories for our families. Start with a Comfort hug filled with #EndlessBurstOfFragrance.