Sweaty Betty

Teens sweat. It's their hormones I guess. Once kids become teenagers, they smell different. I love the smell of babies. When does that smell leave the baby? I'm not sure, I can't recall. But whenever I smell a baby, it makes me smile. I close my eyes and I enjoy that odour.

I don't enjoy the smell of sweat. It makes my stomach twirl. I have a really good smell and that sweaty smell stays in my nostrils way too long. Ugh! I remember a classmate in college. She always smelled sweaty, from the moment she entered the classroom. My friend one day asked her, if by any chance, she knew Theo Dorant.. She didn't.. I remember it was a joke that went all through college. I also remember she never understood and the smell remained.

The other day I saw a documentary on extremely sweating. I believe they called it hyperhidrosis. Not only arm pits, but hands as well as feet were smelly. The embarrassment of the people on the show, that suffered from hyperhidrosis really hit me. Maybe the girl in college had this same condition? I'm ashamed, we even made fun of her. Maybe there was nothing she could do about it. We should have supported her. But we didn't. We didn't know any better. The only thing we knew, was that she smelled and that it was irritating.

Sometimes, I call my youngest daughter Sweaty Betty. I tell her all the time, that putting on deodorant is of no use unless you washed yourself first. She's getting better. I told her the story about the college girl. I told her we kinda bullied that girl. She wasn't happy with me.. I guess mommy is not perfect after all..