Aromatic Memories

Margaret and Dick Janes

Few things muster childhood memories like the smell of a good roast saturated deep with garlic.  This evening I put a roast and potatoes in the oven, charging my husband with keeping an eye on things while I took a short snooze in my chair.  I awoke to an aroma which permeated every square inch of our home.  In my groggy state, I was immediately taken to a time long ago when my mother concocted delightful meals from her kitchen as I watched icicles form outside the living room window.

Mom was a good cook.  There was nothing gourmet or exotic about her cooking, but she had a knack for taking the simplest meal and making it delectable.  Dad sold meat for Swift & Company for many years, and he did the grocery shopping.  Long after he changed careers, he used his knowledge of meat and his natural thriftiness to find the most flavorful cuts of meat at really good prices.  They were quite a team, Mom and Dad.

As I sat in my chair collecting my senses, feeling the warmth of the oven fill our previously chilly home, I could almost hear the laughter coming from Mom's kitchen of long ago.  Tennis balls bounced down the long hallway for the dog to chase.  Business decisions were discussed.  Teasing was a constant.  Music was never far away.  TV westerns were never ending.  Political discussions became teaching opportunities.  All this seemed to be done with garlic wafting through the air.  Money was never plentiful in my parents' home, but Mom could make anything she cooked smell like a piece of heaven!

I'm warm tonight.  My home is warm from the additional heat of the oven, yes, but it has more to do with the warmth being generated from my soul.  I was so blessed to have loving parents who provided me with an environment where I could thrive.  I'm blessed that I can still vividly feel that love slash through time itself.  I'm grateful for that nap in my chair, and for slowly coming to a conscious state while feeling that love once again.