Sentimental Perfume Shared By Mother And Daughter By JPnMO on Jul 29, 2009 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

Years ago, I wore perfume on a daily basis, but skin sensitivity has changed that. Now, I wear it only on occasion. I own a few different fragrances that I like, but le Jardin is my favorite. Not just for the scent, but for sentimental reasons.

My mother died of lung disease at the age of 62. In the last years leading up to her death, her lung specialist proceeded to make her get rid of anything that might affect her lungs, including a live Christmas tree, which she'd had every year of her life. He even wanted her to get rid of her dog, a family pet that had been her very close companion for many, many years.

Another thing on the doctor's banned list was perfume. Though she didn't wear it daily, she loved using it on occasion and getting lots of compliments from her family. She was very upset at the thought of no longer getting to have perfume, but followed her doctor's orders and gave it all away. All except one bottle. She refused to let her bottle of le Jardin be taken away, even though she could never wear it again. It was her favorite and for her own reasons, she desperately wanted to keep it, even if all she could do was look at the bottle.

My mother died 20 years ago and I now have her bottle of le Jardin. I too love this fragrance. I'm not good at explaining why I like a certain fragrance. All I can say is that the scent is soft and appealing to me. I often get turned off by other fragrances that just overpower my senses, but this one has never been that way.

I keep this bottle in my bathroom on a shelf where I see it regularly. I think of my mother each time I see it and on days when I'm missing her more than usual, I'll use her perfume and I feel a bit closer to her. The perfume still smells as wonderful as it did when my mother was using it.

This bottle says it is a Max Factor product, but I understand that it is now under the Dana line. I've looked into buying my own bottle and I will at some point because I don't want to empty the original. This perfume was apparently discontinued at one time, but is now available online. I'm not sure if stores carry it now or not.

My mother sadly went along with all of her doctor's demands, even though she disagreed with them. She was depressed by her new artificial Christmas tree and the loss of so many other pleasures. Looking back, my family realizes that her life would have been richer if she had been able to keep more of the things that brought her pleasure and we doubt it would have made much difference (if any) in her life span. As for the dog, she stayed.