breathing together

When the scent of lavender fills the air, everyone seems calmer. Kinder. More peaceful.

On mornings when I put lemon in the diffuser, the kids have an easier time waking up. 

To be honest, it's a little bit scary.  

I'm not used to thinking about fragrance as something that powerful.

But of course it is powerful. How could it not be? When we percieve a smell, it is because it has become a part of us.

At least a dozen times a minute, we draw air into our bodies, take from it the things that we need, then send what we don't need back out into the space we share.

Breath is terrifyingly intimate.

We are inextricably connected to our environment, and to one another. We are so vulnerable.

Vulnerable... and yet resilient. Dust, pollen, smog, smoke, air frehsheners, mold spores, bacteria, viruses... we bring all sorts of things into our lungs, and most of the time we can handle it just fine. Not always, but most of the time. We are so amazing.

And the good smells... the rich woodsy, spicy and floral aromas that we crave... we want them for a reason. 

We can fool our noses, of course, just as we can trick our tastes with artificial flavors. But our bodies have more wisdom than we credit them. So long as they are honest smells, the good smells are usually the ones that support our incredible, resilient bodies.

And whatever there is in the air, we all breathe it together.