Remembering...

I got in the shower today after a long day at work and started to shave my head.  I didn't use my regular generic Target brand shaving gel, instead I used this...  I had a travel sized canister that I use for trips.

The smell of Gillette Shaving Cream immeditely hit me and I thought about Dad.  I almost fell over -
He always used this kind.  Some of the memories that flooded back and overloaded me were:

Watching him shave for the first time...

Sneaking into the bathroom,putting it on my face, taking his jet black razor and "shaving"  at an early age...

That smell lingering on him just prior to him asking for one of the "Obsession for Men" cologne floating in the back seat of the car...  Speaking of which, I drove the white Aurora when i was back home recently and the car still smelled of Obsession and triggered similar memories...

He would ask D and I when we got downstairs Sunday mornings before church, "Did you shave?" (we always tried to get away with not shaving) - he'd make us go back up and shave before leaving...

It's amazing to me that the olfactory synapses in my brain triggers this reaction every time I smell it - maybe thats why I dont take gel with me on trips - I take a little piece of Dad with me. 

I miss him...

He would always be interested in what I was doing.  It's one thing to tell a friend that your Phase 1 protocol is moving along well - Dad always listened with so well and took great interest and pride in his sons' accomplishments.  You cant quite find that same level of attentiveness is others (not saying that others dont listen! just saying you could brag to your Dad and not feel bad, know what I mean?)

Why the cottage cheese?

Well...  for one.. everytime I see cottage cheese I have this mental image of Dad eating sliced pears out of container of cottage cheese.

Recently a patient of mine, who loved cottage cheese, lost her battle with pontine glioma.  I bought that container of probiotic cottage cheese, intending on giving it to her mom, but now I betcha my Dad invited her over to eat some cottage cheese - dont think she would have liked the pears, that would mean just more for Dad...

Oh Dad... she likes Sprite.... from the bottle...  but you've probably figured that out already...

T