Healing the Pain of the Past

Cynthia Huddleston

Pumpkin pie, lavender sachets, fresh-mown grass, cotton candy . . . these or many other smells of our childhood can transport us back in time.  For a moment, our bodies seem to not only remember the original time and place of these scents, but to be actually reliving the experience.

For me, one whiff of Old Spice cologne can bring such warm calm memories of Granddaddy that it is though I am in his arms again.  That good feeling can color my whole day with a lovely sense of safety and pleasant nostalgia.

Perhaps there are similar sensory memories for you.  They can be treasures that the brain tucks away, waiting to be opened again and again. 

As remarkable as our brain is, it often sends us down paths of memory not as pleasant as those of my grandfather.   Sometimes what we smell or see or hear brings back, just as vividly, an unpleasant or downright painful history.  These are definitely not the kind of memories you want to relive. What do you do when the past won’t stay put?  How can you cope when it intrudes on the good life you are building today?

Toward healing