先保護自己，才能保護他人

你是不是那種，總會先想到別人的人？

習慣了做那個可靠的角色，把身邊的事打理得井井有條，確保每個人都感到安穩。好像只要自己撐著，大家就都會沒事。

丁香葉的香氣，比想像中溫和許多。沒有預期中強烈的辛辣與刺鼻，反而是一種樸實的暖木香，尾端透著淡淡的微甜。深深吸一口，身體彷彿慢慢暖和起來，安穩、不吵鬧。就像有人在你背後輕輕披上一件外套，是那種讓人放心的味道。

在歷史長河裡，丁香一直扮演著「守護」的角色。古人將它放進食物裡延長保存，掛在門口或瘟疫時期的面罩中，用來抵禦未知的威脅。在摩鹿加群島，甚至有著孩子出生時種下一棵丁香樹的傳統，讓植物與人一同長大。只要它出現的地方，通常都有人們想要珍重保全的事物。

而葉子，正是這棵樹最外圍的防禦。

它直面著日曬與風雨，看似不斷在為整棵樹抵擋外力。但其實，葉子在迎向陽光的那一刻，是先將光轉化為自己活下去的養分。它得先把自己顧好，才有力氣長成一面寬廣的保護傘。

這份香氣溫柔地訴說著一個簡單的道理：守護別人之前，得先保護好自己。我們不需要等到把所有人都照顧妥當，才有資格喘息。正如，你要先讓自己暖起來，才有能力把外套借給別人。

願你今日，能在照顧別人之前，先好好接住自己。

以香為語，安在當下。
𝘽𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩.

Are you the sort of person who always thinks of others first?

You are used to being the dependable one, keeping everything in perfect order, making sure everyone else feels secure. It is as though you believe that as long as you hold everything together, everyone will be fine.

The scent of Clove Leaf is far milder than one might imagine. Rather than the sharp, piercing spice you might expect, it offers an earthy, warming woodiness, trailing off with a faint touch of sweetness. Take a deep breath, and it feels as though your body is slowly warming up—steady and quiet. It is like someone gently draping a coat over your shoulders; a deeply reassuring aroma.

Throughout history, clove has always played the role of a ‘guardian’. In ancient times, it was used to preserve food, hung above doorways, or tucked into masks during times of plague to ward off unseen threats. In the Maluku Islands, there is even a tradition of planting a clove tree when a child is born, allowing the tree to grow alongside them. Wherever it appears, there is usually something people wish to cherish and keep safe.

And the leaves are the tree’s outermost line of defence.

They face the glaring sun and the driving rain, seemingly endless in their effort to shield the rest of the tree from the elements. Yet, in truth, the moment a leaf turns towards the sun, it first converts that light into the very nourishment it needs to survive. It must look after itself before it has the strength to grow into a broad, protective canopy.

This aroma gently whispers a simple truth: before guarding others, you must first protect yourself. We do not need to wait until everyone else is perfectly looked after before we earn the right to catch our breath. Just as you must let yourself get warm before you can lend your coat to someone else.

May you find the space today to gently hold yourself, before tending to anyone else.

Grounded in the present, spoken through scent.
𝘽𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩.