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Another beautiful summer day (although the temperatures are making me wonder a bit if it really is summer!) in Idaho and time to share another guest gratitude post. Today we are privileged to read some thoughts from our Progressive Cattleman editor, David Cooper.

He writes:

Cooper_DavidMost men probably couldn’t answer if they were asked what their favorite flower is. I, on the other hand, have no problem reciting my botanical endearment to lilacs. It’s been over 20 years since I was there, but I can still smell the lilacs that grew in my grandmother’s backyard.

Being a transplant from the South to the mountainous and dry climate of the West, Grandma did everything in her power to make her yard a lush Garden of Eden laden with fruit trees, perfectly aligned garden rows and a litany of rose bushes.

But it’s the lilacs that were most overwhelming. When summer came, the magenta blossoms literally rained down from the trees and the fragrance would intoxicate your senses. That scent always rejuvenated me as a boy with wonderful assurances: It was summer, I was home with Grandma and the world was on open and rewarding oyster.

That’s just one reason I’m grateful for the power of memory, especially those that come from the essence of smell. Doctors have long studied how our olfactory receptors have virtually an instantaneous nervous connection to our cranium, which enhances our emotional memory. Research has proven that we align verbal, even poetic, meaning to a given olfactory stimulus.

The fact is, life is filled with so many powerful memories, many of them triggered by a fragrant reminder.

Years ago, I was a missionary in eastern Europe. When I returned for a visit 15 years later, one of the greatest examples of total recall came from the smell of burning coal in urban neighborhoods. It stirred so many memories of my earlier experiences, I was almost hypnotized just standing in the street.

Chances are, when we think of our lives, we cling to those memories that build us up, and remind us of joys past, friends and family long gone. Our sense of smell plays a great role in that script. They even help us remember the good over the bad.

If you wish to be grateful, discover those memories and inhale them into your minds. Take time this summer to relish the barbecues, the mowed lawns, the burning fireworks, the musty tents and sleeping bags – then cling tight to them for years to come.

Just like the old proverb says, take time to smell the roses … or as i would prefer, the lilac trees.

Thank you, David! I love this reminder of how lucky we are to be able to experience the world around us through not only the sights, but also the smells. Just getting a brief whiff of a freshly-cut alfalfa field on my drive home from work brings a smile to my face and reminds me of good times growing up. The smell of the fresh rain this morning took me back to time spent in the mountains during the summer. And nothing reminds me of my mom’s kitchen more than a freshly baked batch of cinnamon rolls.

Thank you for my own trip down memory lane (I also love lilacs!) and a nudge to make even more memories that will last a lifetime and beyond! I so appreciate your thoughtfulness and insights and am very grateful to have the opportunity to work with you!