The All You Need is Love Project is a movement to inspire more love on this planet. The more we come together, the more love we can share. Join the revolution here!
TODAY’S LOVE TOPIC:
What does love smell like to you? Share a photo of a scent you adore. Using descriptive language, share with us how this person/thing smells like to you. Paint a picture for us with your words!
Before I get to today’s topic, I’d like you to know that from here onward my posts will be scheduled as I will be taking time off to be a mommy. I’ve enlisted the help of my bloggy friends (cue Ringo Starr & The Beatles song) to write some guest posts for you lovelies. They’ll be contributing throughout this month of April. Please show them some love by reading their guest posts and also visiting their awesome blogs. Love these ladies! I’ll still be reading your comments from time to time, but my responses will be delayed. Not to worry, though. I have planned some quality content for you in my absence. I plan on returning at the end of April with lots of heart updates.
One more thing: I’ve added a private All You Need is Love Project Facebook group so all us lovers can chat more comfortably about the week’s topic. I thought this would be a nice, safe space to share our hearts. Join here!
Now onto today’s topic. What does love smell like to me? Instinctively, I thought of chili peppers. If there’s any smell ever that would represent my sense of love, it would be the intoxicating smell of any type of chili.
I chose this love topic because I read somewhere that our sense of smell is the strongest of all our senses. It can bring back memories from way, way back with just a whiff. Of course, smells can be ugly, too. I know this all too well with my preggo smelling superpowers. I’ve never really appreciated the intensity of my nose until now. Yet, there have been many times in life when I happen to smell something and….pouf….I’m taken back to another time and those memories are sweet.
I’m always tickled with how we all grow up thinking our households are “normal.” What I mean is as children we believe everyone does what we do as a routine. Of course all families eat cereal in the morning, right? Ha! False! A child’s perspective is so narrow and innocent. Yet, those early years make such a profound impression on us and shape who we will eventually grow up to be.
Our house was always filled with a constant aroma of fresh chiles. Whether it be chiles serranos, jalapeños, chipotles, poblanos, or chiles de arbol, the wonderful scent perfumed our house on a daily basis. I can recall many evenings doing homework in the dining room and knowing food would be served shortly because of the intoxicating, flavorful smell of chiles coming from the kitchen. The special rainbow blend of Mexican spices invaded every corner of our house and it smelled of love.
If you’ve ever cooked with fresh chiles, you’ll know that they are not easy to handle. They can cause your hands to crack and burn because they are strong and overpowering. My mama has weathered hands because of all the fresh chiles she’s handled all her life, on top of all the dishes she has washed serving us. What an amazing badge of honor to have! I have her hands memorized and I can picture them now peeling the chiles.
Additionally, according to Cosmic Chile, chiles are really healthy for you as they are “cholesterol free, low in sodium and calories, rich in Vitamins A and C, and a good source of folic acid, potassium and Vitamin E.” My mom schooled us on this as children. The majority of food we ate as a child contained some type of chile. For this reason and till this day, I really cannot eat food which doesn’t have any spice to it. To me, it just tastes so bland. I’ve been spoiled for life!
I’ll never forget the time my neighbor came over our house for a casual visit. The moment she stepped passed our doorstep, she started coughing uncontrollably. We asked if she was ok and she said she was not sick. We all then realized she was actually choking on the smell of chiles! Poor thing! She confessed she wasn’t used to the scent. What smells like home to us doesn’t necessarily translate to others.
Now, our house doesn’t have that beautiful aroma of fresh chiles because I don’t have my mama’s talent for cooking. I long for that smell and when I go home, I get my fill. No matter how much time goes by, the smell of chiles will always be synonymous with love and family.
TODAY’S DISCUSSION TOPIC:
Close your eyes and think what love smells like to you. Do certain scents bring back fond memories? Share with me!
NEXT WEEK’S ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE PROJECT SUGGESTED TOPIC:
Write an ode to a true friend. It may be someone from your past or a current friend who has proven to love you unconditionally. Share why this person defines your meaning of friendship.
Interested in spreading more lovin’ today? You can linkup your love post below. Post a pic on facebook/instagram/twitter/google + about today’s love topic or anything that inspires your heart. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #allyouneedisloveproject so we can follow you! You can also post any lovely pins to the pinterest board All You Need is Love Project. {Newly added} Be part of lovely discussions with the All You Need is Love Project Facebook Group.
Join the love revolution below. Ready, set, love!
Photo credit: Carmen Garcia-Shushtari
