The nose knows: When fragrance and memories collide

Everyone has a smell that transports them to a time or place in their life that means something special - all the more so at Christmas time, Amanda Cassidy writes

Young girl enjoying the smell of a pine tree.

I’d been sorting through the children’s memory boxes when a distinctive smell catapulted me back to their early years. It was the washing powder smell from one of their tiny baby blankets.

I traced the soft blue weave and closed my eyes. We’ve since changed brand, but the soapy whiff of lavender brought me right back as if I was the ghost of my own past, sitting folding laundry while the babies cooed beside me. It was a visceral moment that overwhelmed, but in the nicest and most sentimental way.