The smell of love

Aubrey at Pilgrim at Oak Ridge today asked, "what is the smell of love?"  She had earlier written of the delicious smells of love, of favorite family recipes.  But while serving, her family, her patients, she also noted that the smell of love isn't always the good things. 

What does love smell like?

For me, love smells like apple pie in the oven, almost ready to come out, and wood being cut in the garage workshop.
Love smells like freshly mowed grass and turned over soil in spring.
Love smells like windex and PineSol.
Love smells like the musty old wood in the sanctuary of my home church, and lasagna warming up before Pot Providence lunch.
Love smells like fresh brewed coffee first thing in the morning.

But I also know that love smells like stale smoke and lingering alcohol on the person at the back door of the church.
It smells like hot meals prepared in an industrial kitchen and packed into coolers for home delivery.
It smells a bit moldy, like the basement apartment of someone in their own place for the first time in years.
It smells like the mix of Eastern spices and musk  and sweat in the building full of Sudanese refugees.
It smells like a sweaty kid, flush from running crazy, but stopped in your arms long enough to avoid getting into trouble. For now.

And tonight, love smells like fresh made oatmeal cookies, made by a willing daughter for a sweet-starved mom and brother.