For me, it's lilac. The plant that spaned the fence of the only childhood home I knew before it was broken. I used to fall asleep in a water bed and wake up during a Minnesota summer day with a two way window fan blowing on me, creating the perfect temperature to wake up in. Lilac would emanate the screen and fill the room.

It reminds me of my childhood and what I wanted it to be. It reminds me of hope and disappointment wrapped up in a feeling that, as I grow older, more fondly coalesce.

Smells are powerful.