It's funny how a specific smell can evoke memories or feelings of happiness...

If you've ever seen the television series Little House On The Prairie you may know about a perfume called "Lemon Verbena." In one of the first few episodes of the series Laura Ingalls remarks that she thinks her teacher smells wonderful and finds out she wears a perfume called Lemon Verbena. Her teacher is a sweet woman and Laura's role model. Eventually, Laura is gifted her own bottle of Lemon Verbena and it is mentioned periodically in the series as being her and her teacher's favorite perfume.

My Own Version of Lemon Verbena

When I was in second grade I had a similar experience. My teacher that year was one of the kindest women I've ever met. She wore large 1990s style eye glasses and had red hair that was permed. She wore really long beaded necklaces that tapped together as she walked around the room. I never saw her wear anything but floor length dresses. Most memorably, she always smelled amazing. I can't remember exactly how (maybe at parents night) but my mom found out my teacher wore a perfume called White Diamonds and it was marketed by Elizabeth Taylor.

I guess my mom liked the smell because she bought a bottle. She didn't wear it often but I remember smelling it sometimes because I enjoyed the scent. It reminded me of my second grade teacher who I adored and was a symbol of kindness.

My second grade teacher was always nice to me. I was very shy and my teacher had kind eyes and never seemed bothered by my shyness. Her classroom is the only one I remember. I remember the blackboard and placement of the desks.

I sometimes run into my second grade teacher at the grocery store. She still smells amazing. She's still the nicest person I've ever met and always loves to hear how I'm doing in life.

Most of the time, once you leave school in most cases you never see your teachers again. At one time in your life they were the most influential people in your world. I never see any other teachers I had when I was a kid. I can name at least four who did or said life changing things that impacted me.

• The teacher who pushed me to make all A's with the simplest of conversations.
• The teacher who told me the most important thing was to "overcome my upbringing." This meant don't let the way you were raised dictate the rest of your life.
• The young teacher who was cool and got my attention by teaching in unique ways.
• The young history teacher who I had a crush on and made me develop a love of history using out of the box teaching methods.

I often wish I could see them again to tell them thanks for what they did for me. They'll never know how they changed my life for the better. I learned lessons from them all and benefited from their kindness and roles as my teachers.

I own a bottle of White Diamonds perfume. I hate wearing perfume but I enjoy having a bottle around for the memory the smell evokes. It's funny how a simple smell reminds you of being a kid again and simple happy moments.

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