Smells from Childhood

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CEFR Level B1-B2

For some people, a smell will remind them of their childhood. I have thought about this a lot. I don’t have any strong scent associations with growing up. My mother used a moisturizer with a unique scent that I have not smelled since the product was discontinued. Otherwise, I feel left out. 

I read in books about pancakes being the smell of Sunday mornings or maybe Wednesday was spaghetti night and the house always smelled like tomatoes and garlic on those evenings. I don’t have memories like that. 

One day, at a writing group, we were given the prompt “smell.” There was no other context. I started thinking about my lack of scent-based memories. Then I realized that I do connect one scent with some emotions.

I grew up in a deciduous woodland. I spent many hours playing in the woods behind my house. My parents also took me on hikes in other woods. The woods smelled like damp soil and decaying leaves. 

That description makes the odor sound unpleasant. To me, the smell represents life because all that water and compost allows trees to grow large and have many leaves. 

The smell also represents adventure and freedom. When my parents took me hiking, that was an adventure. Playing in the woods behind our house was one of the few times I was allowed to be without adult supervision. Being in the woods gave me freedom.

Now, as an adult, the smell of a moist hardwood forest makes me feel adventurous and free.