Scented (Good) Thoughts: Happy Mother's Day! & Charity Fundraising for Orphan Foundation of America
Starting today just past midnight and until midnight I will donate $1 to the Orphan Foundation of America for each message that you leave on this blog today. This effort is part of the Benevolent Blogging effort organized by Katie from Scentzilla!
I will also hold a drawing for a bottle of Eau de Patou from amongst all the people who leave a comment (please see my previous post for more details about the charity event). If you do not wish to be included in the drawing for privacy reasons, for example, please let me know. I will ask either my husband or my three-year-old to draw (preferably my boy if he is not in too mischievous a mood!) You can leave a simple Hi or if you want, you can tell us what perfumes or scents you associate most with your mother as a way of celebrating Mother's Day. You could also tell us what is the best perfume compliment you ever received or the one that pleased you most.
When I think of my mother, I think mostly of four perfumes that seem to have marked different periods of her life: Eau de Calandre, Chloe, Joy, and Femme. But to tell you the truth, she is not that into perfumes.
Orphans are children who one day lose a necessary presence in their lives and are made even more vulnerable than other children because of that. I hope we can help them a bit, but I also know that beyond this action we are undertaking today, what they most need is to find a good family.
I have a friend who is an orphan who was abandoned at birth and she told me that, "Anything is better than the orphanage." She was saying that to explain to me how she had had the will to survive the mistreatment, even the torture, inflicted upon her by the companion of her adoptive father who would sometimes burn her legs with cigarette butts.
There are many different reasons why children are given up for adoption. I saw a program on TV once where a woman decided after having had 3 children to give up the one she was pregnant with, mainly for financial reasons -- it was a matter of survival for her, for her family, and for the child. The program showed her giving birth and then not even wanting to take a closer look or have a close contact with the baby. It was heartbreaking to see the physical distance separating her from her baby and to think of the future life of that child.
Coco Chanel was abandoned by her father who left her in an orphanage after the death of her mother because he could not see himself taking care of her as a single parent.
A friend told me that her father had been abandoned by his mother as a little boy in the midst of a crowd at the open market during winter. He remembered how she had let go of his hand at some point. That man, her father, buit a family afterwards but he was only able to speak about this event when in his fifties. She told me that her father had been so unspeakably scarred by this event that he had been able to talk about it and allude to the scene of his abandonment to his family only then. They never knew. I remember meeting her father and thinking how hard this man was, not mean. Just something in him felt as hard as stone.
I wish that orphans may find other people who will love them. I also wish all of you much love in your lives.
Please visit other blogs participating in Mother's Day fundraising!
Beauty Addict for Orphan Foundation of America
Blogdorf Goodman for FINCA International
Brain Trapped in Girl's Body for FINCA International
A Girl's Gotta Spa for Orphan Foundation of America
MonkeyPosh for Humane Society of the United States and Muscular Dystrophy Association
Mother Hen’s Place for Aga Khan Foundation Canada
Legerdenez for Orphan Foundation of America
One Child Left Behind for Heifer International
Perfumery for FINCA International
The Scented Salamander for Orphan Foundation of America
Scenteur 7 for Orphan Foundation of America *Participating May 10th through the 15th
Scentzilla! for FINCA International
SmellyBlog for FINCA International
The Soap Blog for UNIQUE
That Obscure Object of Desire for FINCA International
Urban Chick for Womankind Worldwide *Participating May 12th 'til she returns from holidaying a few weeks*
Victoria's Own for FINCA International
Yankee Family goes South for Orphan Foundation of America
Previous Posts in Scented Thoughts:
Scented Thoughts: More on Eau de Stilton & on Milk, Seduction, and Fragrances
Scented (Good) Thoughts: Mother's Day Fundraising for Orphans of America
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Comments
I am not a frequent visitor here, sorry. I popped in for today, but I think that I will make this a regular blog read.
A very touching post my dear.
Posted by: Prince Barry | May 14, 2006
I am not a frequent visitor here, sorry. I popped in for today, but I think that I will make this a regular blog read.
A very touching post my dear.
Posted by: Prince Barry | May 14, 2006
I have just discovered your fabulous site via other perfume blogs- I will be coming here a lot. Such a rich array of fragrance lore is to be found here!
I would love to be entered in the drawing as well - it is certainly for a good cause. (I think Scentzilla was close to the first perfume blog I discovered, and now it has led me to so many others.)
My mother wore a violet scent when I was a child - I always tried to talk her into something else when I got older. I finally succeeded when I convinced her to go with me to a real perfume shop, where she fell in love with Houbigant's Demi-Jour. She wore that as the last fragrance of her life. When she died I took the bottle home, and I have it still as a treasured reminder of her.
Posted by: Flora | May 14, 2006
Fragrant wishes to you and your beloved ones. I join your wish that there may be love and care for all orphans.
I found your post very thoughtful and hope with you that many comments will fly in!
Posted by: Andy | May 14, 2006
Just making a quick pit stop to say HI and that I never knew that Coco was abandoned by her father.Interesting reading here.
Posted by: Christina H. | May 14, 2006
Happy Mother's Day to the Scented Salamander.
Lovely post!
Have a great day!
Happy Blogging!
Posted by: Jen | May 14, 2006
Hi, I've really enjoyed reading through your blog. I particularly liked your discussion of the Eau de Stilton. I must confess the campaign has worked on me, since I want both the perfume and some cheese now...
As for fragrances that remind me of my mom, I would associate Diorissimo the most with her. On our trip to Paris, she got Bois de Violette, so now there'll be that too. She herself was put up for adoption, had a very lonely, neglected first year in a foster home, but was adopted by a a wonderful couple without children. So I really appreciate your generous contributions, and a very happy Mother's Day! (And a fun drawing, too.)
Posted by: Jenny | May 14, 2006
Heartbreaking, that story about the boy abandoned at the open market by his mother. My eyes certainly watered. Happy Mother's Day, and thank you for the post.
Posted by: Tania | May 14, 2006
Happy Mothers Day!
Thanks for your lovely blog. I especially enjoy reading the quotes from Jean-Claude Ellena, my favorite perfumer.
Posted by: IrisLA | May 14, 2006
Great cause -- Happy Mother's Day!
K.
Posted by: Emerald Market Girl | May 14, 2006
This was a moving post - and because we have all been a child - we can feel the sense of lonliness and abandonment.
If my parents were horrible to me - in a way that only spoilt children feel they are - I would shout - I wish I was orphaned!!
I was far too 'Violet Elizabeth' for words!!
Heather
Posted by: Heather | May 14, 2006
Happy Mothers Day!
This post was lovely.
Posted by: Annieytown | May 14, 2006
The story of the boy abandoned in a market sent shivers down my spine. That is inhuman.
Thank you very much for your wonderful blog and very Happy Mother's Day to yuo!!
Posted by: Marina | May 14, 2006
I'm a friend of Katie's. Good luck, and thanks for doing this, it's really great!
Posted by: StickyKeys | May 14, 2006
Happy Mother's Day and happy benevolent blogging!
Posted by: greeneyes | May 14, 2006
Thank you all so much for your contributions and good wishes.
I am in the midst of redecorating our son's room so I will check from time to time and recap at the end of the day.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you!
And to my fellow-bloggers: I will come post tonight:)
Posted by: Mimi Froufrou | May 14, 2006
I just recently discovered your fun blog, now I lurk often. I love this BB event, it really feels like a big community. I was a luck one to be adopted so the Orphans fund is close to my heart (also who I'm donating to) So many things to fix in the world and so few who want to do so.
Posted by: Emotenote | May 14, 2006
wow. moving testimony to the importance of your charity. good on you for caring so much. happy mama's day!
Posted by: brandon | May 14, 2006
Happy Mother's Day. Keep up the good work.
Posted by: stardust | May 14, 2006
Thank you for your kind and insightful post, my friend.
I wish you a very Happy Mothers Day and all of the good things (and goodies) that go with it. :):) I will be thinking about all of my friends who are moms today as I relax with a mimosa.
Hugs!
Posted by: violetnoir | May 14, 2006
Today I'm wearing my mother's perfume, FM...Bigarade Concentree, is it? Did I massacre the name's spelling? XD It's a gorgeous citrus that reminds me of my grandmother's old home in Florida =)
Posted by: Josey | May 14, 2006
I am very much enjoying your blog, a welcome addition to my fragrance reading!
Maybe the Stilton wouldn't be so bad -- I do like the Dumont Creme Brulee.
Posted by: marchlion | May 14, 2006
Thank you for taking part in the benevolent blogging! I too am donating to the orphan fund. :)
Posted by: LotionBarBunny | May 14, 2006
Hello my dear. What terrible stories - it seems so unimaginable to me that anyone could find it in themselves to abandon a child like that boy in the market. Happy Mother's Day, and thank you for such tragic and inspiring stories today.
Posted by: Katie | May 14, 2006
Very touching post.
I associate my mom with her favorite scent, Elizabeth Arden`s 5th Avenue. Of course, I make sure that she never runs of it!
Posted by: benvenuta | May 14, 2006
Regarding the last story, I suspect it might be a case where the mother had met someone and felt her child was in the way of her new relationship.
It is a very cruel and inhuman thing to do, but if you think about it, it might have been the only way for her, considering the age of her child. He was probably too old to be just left at the door of an orphanage (he would have followed her) and the orphanage might have had issues with her leaving a child she had raised for a couple of years and wanted to give up for no good reason. And then again, she would have had to face the gaze of her child as she abandoned him. So this is why, I'm guessing, she needed anonymity. A little bit like in Sophie's Choice where she gives up her older child to the Nazis, because if she had done the contrary, the older child would have remembered her choice.
Thank you all for your comments, keep them coming!
Posted by: Mimi Froufrou | May 14, 2006
I so enjoy your blog! This was a very moving post. My mom is not a perfume wearer...my father seriously dislikes all scented products, unfortunately. I've come late to the appreciation of scents, but blogs like yours are a wonderful source of information...
Posted by: sybil | May 14, 2006
Happy Mothers Day, Mimi!
I love reading your blog!
Posted by: alana | May 14, 2006
Thank you so much for this thoughtful and interesting post about orphans. These stories are so touching and sad. I really hope that all children will have a loving and caring family.
Happy Mother's Day!
Posted by: Ayala | May 14, 2006
Dear Friends,
Thank you very much for all your warm comments, what a celebration yesterday was! I will let you know about the result of the draw by this evening (Monday May 15).
Best,
Mimi
Posted by: Mimi Froufrou | May 15, 2006