When I was young, I would spend quite a bit of “face to face” time with many garden flowers inhaling their seductive fragrances and delighting in their beauty.   If I saw a flower, my nose would go right into it. These experiences always left me with a smile on my face, except for one flower, the Rose.

My Grandpa passed away when I was six years old.  I come from a huge family and staying at wakes for hours was the norm. It was one of those occasions where family got to see each other.  As a young child at the wake, I only remember seeing my Grandpa at eye level and he wasn’t moving in that box.  The other thing I experienced was an abundance of flowers, mostly roses.  The smell of roses was overwhelming, especially as I was at the height where once again, they were right in my face.  I wasn’t enjoying them though.  For years after this experience, I didn’t like the smell of Roses and it wasn’t until I became older that I realized, it was because they always reminded me of this sad occasion.   I came to understood my olfactory memory overpowered the true gift of the fragrance of Roses.

I have since trained myself to appreciate Roses for their immense beauty and gifts they bring us, but on a rare occasion, I  still get a sad memory when I smell a Rose.