Pure Grace and Unconditional Love

Finally; words typed on a keyboard into a PC on soil north of the 49th parallel. They look the same, they sound the same, but they are different. I am different. I am Canadian.

 I know I´m making much more out of this than I probably should, but I cannot seem to help myself. I keep thinking of Aaron Arkaway, the ancillary character in “The Sopranos” who was Janice Soprano´s short-lived evangelical boyfriend. He kept asking anyone and everyone, “Have you heard the good news?” His response was “He has risen”; my response is, “I am Canadian”. And, just like Aaron, I find myself telling anyone and everyone. Sooner or later, someone will answer me, “Yeah, I know, you told me.”

 I arrived here last Friday with only two fragrances. My aunt and a close friend of mine have pretty significant sensitivities to fragrances, so I didn´t want to bring any scents that would cause problems for them. I packed my hot weather standby, Philosophy Pure Grace, and their newest scent, Unconditional Love. It wasn´t until a few days ago that I realized these scents are significant not only for their subtlety and understatement, but for their names as well. Times have been difficult for me in addition to the Canadian border fiasco, and I won´t pretend that I haven´t had a few meltdowns over the course of the past couple of years. I did, but I had them in the privacy of my home and not with cameras rolling and people gawking, the way so many meltdowns seem to happen these days. And even if someone offered me major dollars to have an on-camera Oscar calibre breakdown, I´d refuse. It´s nobody´s business but my own. Wasn´t that the title of a song back in the 80s?

 I´ve never been particularly graceful physically; I can be a bit of a bull in a china shop, and I´m not sure if I believe that human beings are capable of unconditional love. However, there is a graciousness inherent in all of us, and it will reveal itself when we least expect it. My aunt and uncle have been gracious to a fault during this rather difficult period in my life and I don´t know if I will ever be able to repay them for their support and generosity.  Perhaps it is time for me to reveal my inner graciousness and embrace the upheaval and change that have become the permanent landscape of my life. Maybe, just maybe, it is time to start believing in unconditional love. And, as always, smelling good doesn´t hurt, as long as no one starts sneezing. So far, so good.

Lily has chosen: After much coaxing with yummy treats, I managed to get Lily out from under the bed in my aunt´s spare bedroom, so she could choose the three winners of the Carol´s Daughter Pearls samples. They are: Janet in CA, Bev and Linda. Ladies, please e-mail your info via “Contact Us” at the top of the page. And thanks to everyone for your interest in this wonderful scent.