Viewer Mail: A Mother's Fragrant Legacy

Dear Katie,

My name is Emily, I’m 26 years old and I'm from Baltimore. I wanted to share a story with you that I hope you'll appreciate.

My incredible mother, Robyn, passed away on January 10th of this year after an over thirty year battle with multiple sclerosis. She was a beautiful woman inside and out, and while my heart aches that she's gone, I know she's no longer in pain.

For as long as I could remember, my mother had her perfume collection on her dresser. The one that sticks out clearly in my head is Van Cleef & Arpels First -- that was her signature scent.

I started collecting fragrances about four years ago, and I didn't realize it at the time, but it's one of the many things I had in common with my mom. Over the years, people would comment on how much I looked and acted like her. Recently, a friend of hers phoned to check in on me and said, "I don't think you realize how much you sound like your mother. You even have the same mannerisms she did when she was your age."

The Saturday after my mom died, my sister and I had the painful task of cleaning out her room at the nursing home where she'd lived for nine years (her condition had worsened to the point of her being a quadriplegic).

Amongst the collection of pictures of her family, wind chimes, and her laptop (which she affectionately called “the piece of sh*t she can’t live without”), she had her designated shelf for her beloved fragrance collection.

She had Lolita Lempicka, Marc Jacobs Daisy, and Chanel Chance, to name a few. She also had her trusty bottle of First. My sister hesitantly picked it up, sprayed it, and we both started crying because we could smell our mom but we couldn’t see her.

As we were cleaning the room, one of the nurses at the home told us how the woman who lived next door always loved the way my mom smelled and wanted to know if she could have a bottle of perfume. My sister and I went to the woman's room and gave her the bottle of Daisy. Her eyes lit up and she said, "Thank you. Now I'll have something to always remember your mother."

Throughout the day, more residents would stop by and offer their condolences. Some of them could barely speak due to their disabilities, but we could tell they were affected by my mom's death.

It was almost comical how my sister and I kept offering perfumes to passersby like we were a couple of Avon ladies, but it was somewhat comforting to know that even though she's gone, her legacy will carry on and she will continue to bring happiness to people for whom happiness is a rarity.

 I'm looking to purchase a bottle of “First”, not only to add to my collection, but to feel comforted by having her scent with me when I need it.

I'm sorry if I rambled and carried on. I'm a bit of a "yenta", just like my mom was.

Take care and be well,
Emily