My beautiful mother, second on the right (I am the baby). Photo via 1972
Her sparkly vanity mirror was full of perfume bottles, yet I can’t think of a fragrance that reminds me of my Mother. After many days of thinking, I called her and asked, “What was your favorite perfume in the 70’s? She gave me some general answers, like Chanel and Dior, “whatever was all the rage, I loved”. The conversation never got specific, and truth be told – I don’t think she remembers either. She says that when my brother came along, her rambunctious boy broke one too many bottles and ended her obsession of having the latest perfume.
Gloria Maria riding her horse in the Hipica, Granada, Nicaragua with my sister
But maybe it was our exodus from Nicaragua in the 80’s that did away with the vanity mirror full of pretty bottles. And no, she did not stop wearing perfume when we came to Miami. In the 80’s, there might have been Paris or Giorgio on her shelf, but smelling those scents will not transport me to memories of her. And while she has a rotation of new favorites, I can’t tell you that a certain fragrance is what defines the essence of my Mother. She might not be defined by a certain fragrance; however, I have a clear picture of the remarkable woman that I’m lucky to call my Mother.
The fierce woman who showed up unannounced to the immigration building and marched to the top floor demanding to know, “Why has it taken more than 7 years to process our immigration papers?” Turns out our petition had been incorrectly filed – an honest mistake that caused our permanent residency to be delayed by almost 5 years.
The woman who walked up to the counter at the Nicaraguan airport after 4 days of failed attempts to get us on a flight and with conviction explained to them that they better let us board or else… This makes me chuckle every time. (Because if you’ve ever met her in person, you would never know that this elegant and beautiful woman would have it in her to threaten anybody.)
The woman who time and time again has STOOD UP for her rights and the rights of her children is the same one who will stop to pick up any elderly person walking the streets of Managua and give them a ride to their destination. The one who feeds 300 children and their families at her house every 23rd of December with grace and ease.
Some people might call that “random acts of kindness”. Some people might make it a point to do one here and there. Some people, like Gloria Maria, make it a lifestyle. Aside from that, she is the ultimate hostess with the mostess, and if any one of us would show up to the house with 10 friends, she would whip up appetizers and drinks as if she’d been planning a party all along.
She is the quintessential Mother and grandma – the one who for the first two months of my children’s lives took “the graveyard” shift, so that I could go back to bed and rest…the grandmother who drops anything to spend time with her grandkids.
Birthday party for my daughter photo with mom 2016
After having so much and losing it all during the war and communism of the 80’s, she has been a role model of strength, of not giving up, of succeeding, of standing for what’s right, and most importantly, of helping others…
That’s the essence of my Mother.
Her strength enveloped in softness,
Her brave attitude to tackle the unknown,
Her giving heart ….
Her essence is steady. Her effortless elegance and beauty are timeless.
There is no name, no brand that encompasses who Gloria Maria represents to her family, friends, and people she barely knows. As a perfumer, if I were to bottle her essence, I would pick:
The ingredients for Everpresent was created with my mother in mind
Neroli – small and dainty but makes its presence known
Jasmine – the “king and queen” of flowers who inspires poets and adorns brides
Litsea Cubeba – always ready to bring the fun to a party
Yuzu – sophisticated elegance
Copaiba – strong and soft, sweet but no nonsense
Mirabella Everpresent
It’s no coincidence that these ingredients that form part of Marbella Ever Present were inspired by her essence. At the heart of this light, airy, and fun perfume is raw beauty–the kind that makes people take notice of your quiet, but ever-present confidence and strength.
Today, I’m grateful to have her and pay tribute to my Mother whose essence is worthy of a timeless fragrance.
Guest Contributor, Helida Dodd of www.marbellaperfumes.com
Thanks to the generosity of Helida Dodd, we have a draw for a 9.5 ml travel bottle of Ever Present for one registered reader of the USA. To be eligible please leave a comment about Helida’s tribute to her mother. What ingredients would use to capture the essence of your mother. Draw closes 5/10/2022
Read Helida’s Earth Day Article The Scent of the Appalachian Trail here
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