I sprinkle cloves on window sills, and fill bowls with cinnamon sticks and the same because I’m told the scents repel creeping creatures that belong outdoors, and also because they remind me of a scent I find intoxicating: carnation.

Anyone who’s given me a bouquet of these flowers knows I am not shy about submerging my nose in them. I suspect there are perfumes and colognes redolent of carnation, but the pure sensory pleasure of seeing those exotically curled and layered petals, and feeling their velvety texture tickling my skin with warm spicy overtones, could never be matched by any man made essence.

So, I walk around the house inhaling the eugenol-rich aroma of whole cloves, so reminiscent of the irresistible compound in the carnations I adore—flowers that symbolize a Mother’s love, and I’m happy.

May your Mother’s Day be joyful, lovely, and fragrant.

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