Friendship Tax

Offending Fragrance

Replacement

Friendship can impose some peculiar taxes.  These are beyond the obvious ones of money, time and energy. It is understood when your dearest sister-in-law promises that the lilac bridesmaid gown with a large, layered hoop skirt will be suitable for dinner parties with just the slightest tailoring, you will open your wallet and lay down $250 to help make her wedding day dream come to life.  You should plan that when a close friend asks if you can take her raucous, ill-behaved child for a weekend so that she and her husband can “reconnect,” that you will do so without grimace or complaint. And, if your friend’s mother is in the hospital and her husband has been laid off and is depressed, naturally you would make dinner for the family and leave it in her kitchen for her when she gets home from work.  Money, time and energy are given freely and without a scorecard.  However, there are other ways to feed a friendship; they are numerous and instructive. It is a kindness to refrain from eating lemons in her presence if your friend is   sensitive to the fruit.  It seems elementary to choose a vegetarian recipe for a dinner party you are hosting in honor of your vegetarian friend. What good friend wouldn't go one step further?  One of my closest friends recently used my guest bathroom.  When she came out, she casually mentioned that  she didn’t care for the fragrance of the hand soap, rushing to add she felt she could tell me because we are such good friends.  I know that she has one of best olfactory systems I have ever encountered.  She can pick up the scent of a chocolate chip cookie through a plastic zip-lock bag and two walls.  It is a kind of skill-savant, eery, but amazing to behold.  In any case, if she says nay, then my read was that there was but one thing to do in the name of friendship.  Today, I replaced Sandalwood-Vanilla with Tea Tree and Lavender soap.

I can only hope for the best.