All it takes is one whiff, and the memories flood back to us. Do you remember how your grandmother’s house smelled? The perfume your mother wore? Or the fragrance of your sister’s favorite flowers? In life, we are surrounded by smells, but we don’t always realize what certain ones mean to us until the loved ones we associate them with have passed on.
The good news is that we instantly recognize smells we’ve forgotten about, and often they trigger powerful memories. This is why our deceased loved ones like to use scents as invisible, but meaningful, signs that they are there. When a deceased loved one uses scent to contact us, the fragrance is usually out of context and has no other logical explanation.
Take Barbara’s beautiful story, for instance. A pool lifeguard, Barbara was on duty the day her grandfather passed. But before she heard the news from her family, she received a sign from her grandfather: the scent of his cigar smoke. It was a beautiful, clear August day when it happened. With just a few swimmers in the pool, Barbara could focus her gaze, but let her mind wander free. A gentle breeze kicked up and brought a loving scent to her nose — cigar smoke, just like her grandfather’s. Who? Where? she thought, looking around the pool, but nobody was there but the swimmers. Barbara started to doubt her nose, but then the breeze kicked up again. She was certain she smelled cigar smoke. Just then, she was pulled away for a phone call from her mom, and she knew her grandfather had unexpectedly passed away. He had stopped by the pool to let her know that he was alright — still smoking his favorite cigar — and that he loved her.
Barbara still smells cigar smoke from time to time, and she knows her grandfather is there, sending his love to her. So when you’re looking for a sign from a loved one, remember that there’s more to it than looking — pay attention to all of your senses, and your sign will come in the right form at the right time.