Growing up in Queensbridge Houses in NYC, my four siblings and I always loved Christmas. We lived in the projects, in a really tiny apartment. We even had an upright piano in there. Come Christmas my mother would make that place feel magical. She was an icon in our family, larger than life, even though she was quite petit. Around the holidays she’d become fanatical about cleaning. All the brass had to be shined, and the criss-cross curtains were starched and ironed. Everything had to be squeaky clean. Christmas Day was very important in our house.

We always had a fresh Christmas tree every year. But, tradition was that we never got the tree until Christmas Eve. It was my father’s task to get the tree, and he always waited until the last minute because the trees were really expensive, and he’d wait for a sale. One year we didn’t have a tree because my dad was looking for that cheap tree, and couldn’t find one. Needless to say, my mother wasn’t pleased.

My father would bring the tree into the living room and we 5 children would get so excited. My father did all of the trimming at night after we went to sleep, so when we woke up in the morning it was all set up and decorated.

The first time I have a memory of the scent of pine, the Christmas tree, was when I was around 9-10 years old. That smell is deeply connected to good times for me. It’s a time when the house was going to be pretty. Mind you, the house was always well kept throughout the year, but at Christmas time everything was really going to be pretty. And the food was especially delicious. Plus, there was going to be candy around, and we were going to be surprised. My father worked really hard to make things special, even if it was just one gift. All of that is connected in that scent memory.

So, now, when I smell a Douglas Fir or a Balsam Fir, and my husband brings the tree home, the memory of my childhood Christmases come back. My mother is instantly there when that tree comes into the house, even though she’s been gone for 37 years now. That’s how strong that memory is for me. Always at Christmas time, she’s here.

The smell of pine makes me feel safe and cared for. It makes me happy, and connected with my dear, dear mother. It just makes me feel good. The smell let’s me know that I’m in the right place.

In fact, occasionally I diffuse Balsam Fir essential oil and I absolutely feel that I’m in the right place. Sometimes you have a yearning for a moment in time, to touch a moment. You can touch that moment by smelling a scent. The smell of pine makes me feel like a child again.

If the scent had a sound, what would it be? Jingle bells.

If the scent had a color, what would it be? Neon green.

If the scent had a texture, what would it be? Sharply smooth, like a porcupine. It’s got sharp needles, but those needles are smooth.

If the scent could give you advice, what would it tell you? Life is cyclical. Although we experience sadness, in time we can look forward to experiencing happiness again. Life is renewed in the way we choose to embrace it.