Fall is upon us, and like most, I too, am absolutely delighted for the wave of cold weather, spiced drinks, and gleaming lights.

Unfortunately, fall also means dry lips and a dry scalp, and because I adamantly refuse to have dandruff, I turn to my secret weapon – Parachute coconut oil. A savior in its bright blue plastic bottle, glistening a warm, coconutty path from my hands to my hair (and onto the countertop, but that is a story for later). Applying coconut oil to my hair is truly a multisensory experience, and among the senses, the one most affected is definitely the olfactory.

Here’s the thing about the olfactory: it is such an intimate sense, and thus brings up many treasured memories.

I have always considered myself close to my grandparents, but as a child, I spent less time with my mom’s mom –Thangam– because she was mostly busy with my baby brother. The moments we did spend together were both fun, and really, a list of reasons why she should have sent me away forever (Sorry for shaking the soda bottles before asking you to open them). She spent the daytime chasing my little brother, force-feeding him the most disgusting, but nutritious, mix of oatmeal and eggs, and tending to his needs, but in the night, all her attention was reserved for me.

My Thangam always cradled me to sleep telling me stories of her many sisters, and of when my mom and her siblings were young. I was always tucked into her side as I slept with the comfort of the coconut oil in her hair.

Back in Kerala, coconut oil is used in hair commonly –I am assuming to both nourish and to keep the hair under control in the tropical climate– but I was never a fan of it. I refused to keep coconut oil in my hair, so as a compromise, I would get a hair massage with the oil which I could then wash out.

In the past, this was done more or less with a fair share of grumbling and frowns, but today, when I used my own two hands to massage my hair with coconut oil I couldn’t help but wish they were my Thangam’s.

Alas, the lack of proximity causes a bit of an issue when it comes to how many times I can see her, but the coconut oil remains an emblem of her love.

This one is for my Thangam, a lady with a truly golden personality (this is a pun because thangam means gold in Malayalam), who has had the same effect on my life as the coconut oil has in my hair.

Thank you for your endless, and unconditional love, and your continuous smiles over the phone every time I call. Thank you for supporting me, nourishing my life with your presence, and helping me grow. I promise to never shake a bottle of soda before giving it to you ever again.