It's strange what will trigger a certain memory. Some sights or sounds will take arani's mind back to something that happened last week or ten years ago . . . sometimes good things, sometimes bad things. Everyone has encountered that from time to time. But, arani recently discovered that there are certain smells that bring back memories as well.
In July of 2000, 2 months after she was given her Master's collar, arani travelled to meet Him for the first time, to spend several days in a popular vacation resort town. One of the things that we did together was to visit a butterfly habitat. This was a large open building that one could walk through, with paths formed by the placement of a multitude of flowers and other decorative plants designed to be attractive to butterflies. There were also benches placed at intervals, for one to sit quietly. In this place were a great number of butterflies, most of them of exotic species not typically seen in this country. It was a very pleasant place to be.
Well, just before we left our hotel room, arani had used some hand lotion that had a pear scent -- not overpowering, but nicely subtle. Apparently, one of the butterflies thought that arani was lunch, for it landed on her hand and stayed there for probably close to 15 minutes as she walked around the butterfly habitat. From time to time its little tongue would come out as it tried to sample the nectar from the flower that it thought arani's hand to be. When arani gently shook the thing off her hand, it would follow her around and perch on her hand again.
It may not seem like much now, but it was quite moving to have this beautiful creature following arani around like that. Master was also quite taken with the sight of it, and took a few pictures of the butterfly on arani's hand.
One of the reasons that arani has such fond memories of this experience is because it was one of the first places that she and her Master went together. We both enjoyed just being able to walk quietly in this beautiful place, to talk if we wanted to, or just to be together quietly if that's what we wanted. This kind of quiet togetherness is so important for all couples, regardless of the lifestyle they choose. And, to be surrounded by such beauty, and to receive the attentions of this lovely little creature, was just the icing on the cake.
And so, every time that arani uses her pear-scented shaving gel, her mind goes back to a time of simple beauty, and a first sharing of something that later grew into a deep and mutual love.
© arani_CsA, 8/24/2003
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