As easy as putting on perfume…..

It’s been 2 months now since we’ve seen W for our 2nd visit.  I have some great pictures from that visit thanks to my friend (an adoptee who cannot get her OBC because the state she was born in has 3 years still sealed and hers of course is one of them).  She was all set up to take pictures for us last Christmas before they cancelled the visit 4 days before they were supposed to be here.  I had a few ideas all ready for K & W, I had pajamas for them to wear in the pictures – kind of a Christmas morning type shoot.  Anyway….we all know that didn’t happen.  But when I asked her to come with just a couple days notice after they had already been here for  few days (didn’t want to have to have anyone deal with another let down), she did not hesitate.

I have one of my favorite pictures from this latest visit as my wallpaper on my laptop.  So people at work are seeing it occasionally.  I don’t work with many in the location that I am in, most of them are scattered around the world.  So, I only have a few that I have to field  questions from.  Of course, they don’t know the ‘real’ story, (don’t worry insecure APs – I’m not acting as if I am parenting him – I know how you hate it when natural mothers do that), but they know he does not live with us, and I do get visibly emotional when speaking of him.  This makes them uncomfortable of course, and then they quickly end our interaction and I’m able to pull it back together again. 

It seems I’m always trying to pull myself together.  It’s a constant – and something that I never had to ever do before in my life.  Try to just keep myself together.  I had not a care in the world – other than being a good mom to K.  She was my focus, well that, and making sure I could provide for the two of us.  There is no one else to do that, which was my choice over being controlled by her biological father.  My point is, life was pretty ‘together’. 

Now, I feel like it could fall apart at any given moment.  Standing in the shower is the worst.  Probably because it was the place I would stand and cry every day while pregnant as I showered rubbing my belly.   Standing in the mirror doing my hair.  Holding K while she has big alligator tears streaming down her face because she misses W.  In the car when I hear a song that reminds me of him, or of times when this ache didn’t exist.  Watching TV and seeing a baby commercial.  At work where the word ‘adoption’ is used at least every &*^$%^ hour, of course in a completely different context, but nonetheless, I have to say it constantly.  When I see a pregnant woman, or a family with a child about W’s age.  Or just hearing a random comment from a complete stranger sitting on a plane say ‘You can’t change your roots’.  While trying to hold it together thinking, no, you can’t change them.  But adoption will ensure you are disconnected from them. 

Anyway, I’m going to tie in the title of this post now.

I don’t wear a lot of perfume.  In fact, about 12 years ago or so, I started wearing just one.  I got so many compliments on it, and when I told everyone the name they consistently commented ‘It fits you!’   It really did fit who I was, my personality, my demeanor, and after all how I truly felt inside and projected about life.  I had it ‘going on’ as they say, my daughter, my career, my home, my friends and I had goals that I was accomplishing.  This perfume never gave me a headache, never was too strong and it had a great name – ‘Happy’.

I ran out of it about a year ago, and I haven’t bought myself anything in the past year or so.  Not one piece of clothing, not a pair of shoes, and I think I’m going on about 5 months without even a trim on my hair.  I’m numb and none of that ‘stuff’ really matters to me – as I’m just trying to keep myself together on the daily.  I think I do a pretty good job of it – at least people who don’t live with me don’t know.  K sees that I truly struggle with keeping myself together.  Keeping the house together.  Keeping it together at my job – which is easier than any of the other places – my mind is kept busy and distracted there.

Anyway, a while ago was my birthday, and H2 got me my favorite perfume. Yep, Happy. 

But now, I’m not the same.  Putting on the perfume isn’t the same.  I’m not ‘transformed’ by the scent as I used to be.

I’ve always noticed that certain perfumes were better on  certain people.  Red Door for example, doesn’t smell good on everyone.  Perfume has to be a good combination with a person’s pH.  I’m wondering if this is all in my head, or if my pH has changed, just as my mind, heart and soul have been changed by losing W. 

Oh how I wish I could just pick up that bottle of Happy and it would magically make me and life how they used to be…….Happy.