Cyrano de Bergerac said, “A large nose is the mark of a witty, courteous, affable, generous, and liberal man.”

This Thanksgiving when you’re listing all the things you are grateful for, don’t forget your lovely, useful nose. There are so many reasons to be thankful for your nose. These reasons are called scents. Delightful, soothing, wonderful scents that you know you couldn’t live without.

There are some scents that are considered classics: freshly baked cookies, cinnamon, rain, pumpkin spice, new cars, vanilla extract, and Christmas in general (cookies, candles, trees). These are the smells that are indisputably perfect; everyone loves them. Let’s talk about some of the more guilty pleasure fragrances.

I want to express my gratitude for the smells of laundry and swimming pools. That’s right. I love the smell of chlorine and bleach. One of my favorite things to do when I go to the grocery store is walk through the laundry aisle and smell the many bleaches and fabric softeners. It makes me feel so clean.

Many of us on the newspaper staff adore the scent of newsprint. It’s a relaxing smell, a reminder of the things we love. Actually, print in general makes me feel this way. Whether I’m smelling a newspaper, magazine, or (my personal favorite) a brand new book, there’s a certain serene calmness that I can’t get anywhere else.

How about smoke? Not like cigarette smoke, but there’s the fake Halloween smoke machines that some people love and others hate. There’s campfire smoke that always seems like the best scent in the world while you’re roasting marshmallows in the woods, and yet as soon as you get home you can’t wait to get that smell off your clothes. Sawdust is the same way. Many people are really into the smell of gasoline,too. It’s not my personal favorite, but for some it’s the guiltiest pleasure of them all.

One of the strangest smells that we seem to love are the smells of other people. Whether you fawn over a retirement home or a nursery, there seem to be certain types of people who always smell wonderful. Who doesn’t love baby powder? The best is when you know one specific person who has the best scent. They claim not to use any cologne (or perfume), but you know that can’t be right because every time you hug them you just want to take them home and turn them into a candle. Not that people smelling is a hobby of mine, but I do tend to notice these kinds of people a lot.

Our sense of smell is a magical thing, so remember to thank God and/or science for your nose this Thanksgiving. Don’t take this blessing for granted. Never forget to stop and smell the roses.