I’ve infrequently worn perfume for many years, probably after I began working with essential oils. But I keep a variety of body sprays on hand because sometimes I like a light spritz of scent. I used the very last of this one today. I’ve been expecting to run out of it for a while, but it’s a little bittersweet to have finally emptied it. It’s made by a company called Ben Rickert, which went out of business several years ago. However, it’s not that I’m attached to the product so much as that I remember exactly when I bought it.
It was Tom’s grandmother’s ninetieth birthday and all the kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids converged to celebrate. Though we all gave her nice gifts, one of Tom’s siblings suggested we also buy Grandma ninety of something fun. Tom and I bought her a coloring book and ninety crayons. But I didn’t want to just give her the 120 Crayola box with 30 removed. So we went shopping for some kind of cool container to hold the ninety crayons.
I found a collection of Ben Rickert bath products in a gold mesh basket that I liked. We replaced the lotion, soaps, and body spray with Crayons, and I think we also added the products to her other gifts, except for the body spray. I kept that, and every time I’ve used it, I’ve thought of her.
Grandma turned ninety in 2000, and she died in 2002. She never lost the twinkle in her eyes, her ability to tell a funny story, and her willingness to express herself. I don’t know if she ever used those crayons, but she sure made my world a more colorful place, and I was lucky to get her as my grandma by marriage.
Lovely story. I sure miss my nan and wish she had lived into her 90s.
The love for and from a grandparent is one of the best there is. =)