" 'mell Daddy!"

One of the best things a husband who is gone a lot can do is wear cologne. When you are really missing him, you can smell it again and feel a whole lot better. Every once in a while, when things are feeling really tough, I spray his cologne on my pillow before I go to sleep at night. I love sinking into the pillow and pretending he is right next to me. I usually put other pillows on his side of the bed and snuggle with my back to them.

I did that this week, and accidentally left his cologne bottle out. Amelia found it, and picked it up to smell it. She immediately recognized the scent - " 'mell Daddy!" (I smell daddy). She would not let go of that bottle, and would keep bringing it to her nose to smell and smell again. She looked so darn happy, and it reminded me of when I was a little girl. I used to love the smell of Old Spice because it reminded me of my Dad, and when I was in stores I would sneak to the cologne section and smell it.

It's amazing what she remembers about him. Tonight I put some cologne (Kenneth Cole's "Black") on her Daddy Doll and put the doll in to sleep with her.