Calming aromas remind you of one indisputable truth. The only constant is change. Things will improve, they always do. It is a law of nature. Please keep that in the front of your mind as your mantra in the time of Covid 19 terror.
When my mother passed away, I was 8 months pregnant. My life was changed forever. Like thousands of family members now, I didn’t have the chance to say goodbye to the person I loved most in the world. My son Alex was born just a few weeks later and grew up without a grandmother. On 9/11, my precious son was in Washington D.C leading an authors’ conference for National Endowment for the Arts. Alex was the only one in his agency who stayed at his post, relocated to a hotel, taking care of his authors, during the attack. I was terrified for him and proud of his taking responsibility when others went home.
Alex and I were not together in those difficult days following 9/11, and we are not together now. In Connecticut with his family, he shows me on FaceTime the daffodils outside his front door that we planted two years ago. That rebirth of nature brings me comfort. We bought a birdhouse back then, and the birds have returned.
If you wake up worrying and spend your days looking at the news, can you identify calming aromas to reassure you of past and future joy? You may smell the baking bread, the cookies, and cakes in your oven, or from your neighbors’ ovens. So many people are turning to cooking to comfort themselves and their families in these days of isolation. The aromas of the kitchen may be the most soothing of all, but you’ll find many other soothing aromas all around you.
What’s springing in your area? The East Coast office of ROR in Florida is now in its 4th week of isolation, and the jasmine and gardenias are blooming by the front door. We miss our coworkers and friends. We bake cookies and bread for our neighbors. What are you doing to feel better? What are you doing to help others?
My dreams at night are about separation, about needing to be with my loved ones and worrying about the health of the nation and the world. You are no doubt worrying, and dreaming, about the same things. There are so many areas of concern; but when I open the front door and smell the fragrances of spring, I am comforted by the predictability of nature. Nature is about birth and death and for so many of us in recovery, helping others. When I bake something and share it with my neighbors who pick up the treats when I’ve gone, I feel connected. If you’re feeling annoyed with loved ones at home, here’s an article to stop the conflict. If you don’t feel safe right now, call the hotline.
Calming aromas can comfort you today. What are your favorites?
Here’s a recovery word search to have some fun with words.
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