Mother, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

I know this pic does not look particularly cheerful or display a motherly joy. But who says being a mother is all happy and easy, right? Life and death are intertwined, and I think nothing portrays it better than Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater" - the first classical piece I've ever sang (to be precise, it was the third alto aria, "Eja Mater"). I remember my vocal coach trying to squeeze some motherly grieving out of me, a teenager who hasn't experienced childbirth yet. She told me to think of how much I love my mother when I sing the song. I guess that's as close as it can get, assuming the third principle of Newton's physics is valid in the realm of emotion.

The two previous Mother’s Day events celebration in SmellyBlog included a post about the scent of a mother (2006) and mother nature (2007). I’ve pretty much exhausted my (already not that original) ideas for the day if trying to steer away from the retail-orientation the holiday has taken in recent years. So what’s next? What perfumes to buy mom on Mother’s Day? What perfumes do moms wear? Although I know I could come up with interesting ideas and answers I just don’t want to. So perhaps that would happen next year.

How about this for now: let’s just celebrate Mother’s Day with our children and our mothers, and enjoy the day and many more to come, year around. Mothers can always use some spoiling, and we all know how to do that, don’t we? As for me, my daughter decided we’re going out for brunch this morning, and so we did. I’m happy to find myself in a day when my little offspring can make her own decisions, even if they mean having a chocolate milkshake for breakfast.

This year, after being a mom for nearly 12 years, I am starting to finally internalize the fact that I am a mother in the sense that I am also one to leave an imprint of memories on my own daughter. I won’t know which scent she will associate me with, but one thing is certain - the word mommy would be associated with the concept of perfume, no matter which way she looks at it... And today, by the way, I am wearing a few drops of vintage Shalimar parfum extrait.