Flashback

It's funny how a small thing can trigger a memory at any moment. Over the holidays, my uncle Doug drove me to the airport and picked me up after my trip to France. He used my Beetle to do this and when I opened the door to climb in, my senses were overwhelmed. My car smelled like my Grandad.

I'm not sure exactly what the mix was (perhaps a cologne + fisherman's friend?) but to me, it smelled just like Grandad. It has been nearly 20 years since he passed away so it was a bit startling to me when I first caught the scent. The sense of smell is a powerful thing.

And then it happened again. This weekend, I was at the Petrolia hospital and walking down the corridor was like walking in a time warp. Not a lot has changed in those hallways over the years including the very same black and white photos hanging on the wall. As I walked past one room in particular, I was overcome with emotion. It hit me like a ton of bricks and immediately brought tears to my eyes.

I flashed back to being 6 years old and sitting in the "family" room while my Grandma Mills was in that very hospital. I remembered being really sad because everyone else was really sad. I remembered staring at my red corduroy pants as my mom explained to me what an aneurysm is and how Grandma would not be coming home with us.

Thirty years have passed and it was just like yesterday. Again, it caught me completely off guard with a wave of emotion.

I am thankful to have such a great memory for such details because sometimes all you have left of someone very special is memories.