The Nose Knows

I just finished listening to an audiobook for book club, The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister. It was the luring tale of a girl who lived alone on an island with her father who knew the secret of scents and the memories they hold. Without making this a book report, it will suffice to say that this girl did get off the island and become an adult, and the writing is superb weaving of visualization and olfactory descriptions. The angel message lies within the story of living off the land, becoming attuned to your senses, and knowing which people with whom to set firm boundaries and which people to trust.

First, it’s important to recognize our connection to the earth. It’s vital that we realize how important nature is to our very existence. It feeds us. It cleans the air that we breathe. It provides food, shelter, and even our heat (and air conditioning). Mother Nature has been letting us know, in a rather extreme fashion, how we cannot continue to take her for granted. Weather and natural disasters, as well as species extinctions are crying out to be noticed, and in the end, it’s the earth that will be okay. Maybe we should all get out there and hug a tree - make a new friend? But seriously, what new thing can we each add to our life to make a difference? I always carry reusable bags in the back of my car for groceries… this week I remembered to bring them into Target. A friend of mine has never gardened before and just ate the first pepper that she grew herself! It’s the little things that add up between us.

The next message is about becoming attuned to your senses. The Scent Keeper hones in on scents holding memories. From pipe tobacco to coffee brewing, each smell consciously, or unconsciously takes us to a different place. My dad smelled like tires, axel grease, coffee, and the occasional cigar. In the morning, after he shaved, some “foo foo juice”, aka Aqua Velva scented his face, but it never lasted long. To this day, the smell of tires and the sound of a lug nut drill makes me think of him in an instant. I imagine you have memories that can be evoked in an instant too. What are they? Who are they? How are they brought back?

Angels and loved ones are constantly trying to reach us. Smells can bring memories back quickly if we pay attention, but so can songs or sounds of any kind. Maybe it’s the way a breeze hits your face, or the way the covers hold the warmth close to your body that make you think of someone or something? You know that I’m a big one for noticing flying things - birds of all sizes, bees, butterflies, and dragonflies all seem like messages to me, but so do cloud formations or series of numbers. And have you ever tasted something that tastes just like someone you love “used to make it” - or maybe you’ve been searching for that taste but it’s never achieved. Who and what are these experiences reminding you of? These are the messages. Pay attention!

Finally, angels want us to know that we really do need one another. Just like cats, dogs, and horses do better living with a buddy, so do we! We are not created ticking every box of how to meet our own needs. We need other people and there are many, many people who are loving and giving and compassionate. We need to trust our senses about who these people are. We need to watch for the smile that goes all the way from the corner of their mouth to the twinkling in their eyes. We need to trust our gut, literally. Is it tensing up around them? If so, and you don’t have the stomach flu, keep your distance. Set a firm boundary and stick to it. Angels will give us all the signs. We need to trust them.

Thank you so much for reading this blog! I appreciate you!

Peace,

Margaret Rose

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