You Smell Like Christmas

I’m quite certain (well…as certain as a guy like me gets) that one of the greatest compliments that I’ve ever received was: you smell like Christmas. Before I extrapolate on my thoughts on the subject, I would like to do a little background on the circumstances surrounding it.

I went to the dentist the other day because the sadomasochist in me felt like my mouth was being neglected (or for my bi-annual checkup, whichever you prefer). I actually don’t mind going to the dentist. The staff and I have an excellent rapport and our infrequent banter can be fairly comical. So in I go, on a brand new oral health adventure.

Now, as a general rule, I schedule these excursions as early as possible. Mostly, because I will have just brushed my teeth as part of my morning routine and I don’t have the patience to stop and do that mid-day. I also shower and groom myself in the morning…and drink a cup of black coffee. I know how this probably smells to the dental hygienist, but they’re sticking sharp things in my mouth. So fair is fair. Anyway, part of my grooming involves oiling my beard. I have to oil my beard or it will go haywire and it looks like a massive evacuation where each hair has selected its own distinct and non-linear route. I’ve tried many different products and my personal favorite is not going to be mentioned, but its scent is spiced citrus.

So off I go and show up at my local oral health care practitioner’s shop, full of bubbly, morning optimism and witty glee, ready for an adventure. After quick hugs (yeah, we hug at my dentist office…what do you do at yours?), I go in the back and prepare myself for the oncoming onslaught. In the midst of my reverie, Celeste (my dental hygienist) starts asking if I smoke cloves. Well, that’s curious. Surely, coffee can’t be confused with clove cigarettes. So I nonchalantly mention that my emo stage ended shortly after high school and I in fact do not smoke stylish, black cigarettes that taste like a bowl of potpourri. Oddly enough, she doesn’t leave it alone. She starts running through this long list of random and curious scent-related questions. I (having completely forgotten about my beard oil) am perplexed. I inquire as to the origins of her queries, and that’s when she floors me.

“You smell like Christmas,” she says. And when she says it, she uses this hushed and reverent tone. The cadence and timber of her voice contained the hint of nearly overwhelming nostalgia, tinged with great fondness and perhaps a few regrets.

I had no words. For that brief little sliver of time, everything froze. Have you ever had one of those moments? A moment where all the beauty and splendor of this world is suspended, where snowflakes hang suspended in front of you and you can enjoy the symmetrical glory of their gossamer and frail existence. This was one of those; one breathless and magical moment. I assure you that I’m not speaking in a romantic context at all. It was an epiphany. A slowing of our ever, spinning lives and for just that moment, I understood the magnitude of what she had said. For a frozen second, I was Atlas, shouldering the great weight of the gift she had bestowed upon me. I understood all of the things that she wrapped up under the term Christmas and I appreciated the inferred bow that she had neatly placed on top.

After that, we fell right back into our normal rhythms and carried on with the business of making my teeth shiny. There were no awkward moments and no avoiding eye contact, just pleasant smiles and witty one-liners. We finished up and I hugged her goodbye and took my blessing out with me to confront a new day. I had really needed that moment (hell, we all need those moments). I had a great day and still, even after all this time, it brings a smile to my face when I remember it.

That’s not the last time I’ve been told I smell like Christmas, but I do wear spiced citrus beard oil. After some down time research, I discovered that quite often people create a blend of oranges, cinnamon, pine, and assorted spices to make their homes smell like Christmas. I guess that’s what I wear in my beard. So, I suppose, I do in fact smell like Christmas to some and I’d like to think that maybe it brings a little joy to the sniffers, but I know that it brought back a flood of memories to Celeste. I affected her that day and she in turn affected me.

Christmas, for most of us, is a time that reminds of gathering with our family and friends. It reminds us of unconditional love and peace and goodwill. It takes us back to the innocence of our childhoods and our belief in magic and change. Christmas is full of surprises and in certain exchanges we discover how much we mean to others. For me, there is no holiday that expresses the importance of my existence to others as much as Christmas (It’s A Wonderful Life is my favorite Christmas movie). So for me, “you smell like Christmas” is one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received.

That’s all I got for the moment. Go out and make somebody’s day.