A sensory guide for a special Mother’s Day
Read time: 4 Mins | Sensory Focus: Visual, Olfactory | Mood: warm, caring
Mother’s Day often arrives with a rush of expectations and noise, yet what most mothers truly crave is simply a moment to pause: time, and the space to enjoy it, is the ultimate luxury. In this journal, we explore the concept of the sensory retreat for a truly special Mother’s Day. Instead of focusing on traditional, hurried gifting, we are looking at how we can honor the maternal figures in our lives through deliberate, tactile experiences.
Latibule Library: On Honest Motherhood
Motherhood is not easily defined by the traditional tropes of the season. For this sensory guide, we wanted to step away from the superficial and curate a collection of literature that honors the unvarnished, complex, and profound realities of maternal bonds.
These three brilliant books serve as an invitation to reflect on the lineage we inherit, the women who raised us, and the visceral nature of holding space for another life.
I. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
On the inheritance of motherhood. A beautiful exploration of the stories our mothers tell us, and the ones they keep hidden. Tan’s work is a profound reminder of the voices, languages, and histories that echo through generations. It explores the intricate, sometimes fraught, but ultimately unbreakable bonds passed down across kitchen tables.
II. A Woman's Story by Annie Ernaux
To love someone deeply is to truly see them. In this stark, breathtaking memoir, Ernaux strips away the romanticised ideals of caregiving to observe the raw reality of her mother’s life, independence, and eventual decline. Sparse and completely unsentimental, it is a masterpiece for those who appreciate love in its most honest form. Sometimes love is the act of witnessing, witnessing the woman behind the title of mother.
III. Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel
A fiercely intelligent, fearless novel that steps laterally away from traditional family dynamics. Nettel looks at the instinctive and biological realities of motherhood, the weight of maternal choices, and the unpredictable nature of the physical body. It is a stunning tribute to chosen families and the deeply tangible ways women hold space for one another’s grief and joy.
The Olfactory Retreat: On Scent and Atmosphere
Of all our senses, smell is the most intimately tied to atmosphere and memory. We all have those Madeleine moments, in which we have spontaneous thoughts or vivid memories triggered by a scent.
To gift a fragrance is not to give an object; it is to gift a special memory. It is a way to shift the temperature of a room and offer a mother a definitive, beautiful ritual to mark the passing of her day.
Latibule’s Trilogy candles are built around three distinct moods, to make this Mother’s Day really special.
On Distance and Connection
For those who cannot share a table or a quiet afternoon with their mothers this year, we want to help bridge the gap. To ensure your chosen pieces arrive safely at her door, we are offering complimentary shipping on all orders until 10 May.
The Visual Retreat: On Cinematic Warmth
To watch a beautiful film together is to share a visual sanctuary. We have curated three visually stunning, atmospherically rich films that bypass cliché to capture the pure, touching warmth of a mother’s love.
I. Petite Maman
On tender understanding and gentle love. Petite Maman is a quiet, poetic fable which is incredibly moving without ever being heavy. Following the loss of her grandmother, a young girl playing in the woods meets another child building a treehouse, who turns out to be her own mother, at her exact age. It strips away the complicated dynamics of adulthood to explore the pure, innocent, and deeply gentle love between mother and child. It is a luminous, comforting film that will leave you in happy tears.
II. Little Women
On the warmth of the home and unconditional guidance. While it is a story of sisterhood, its true anchor is the matriarch, Marmee. She is the ultimate embodiment of warm, steady maternal love, allowing her daughters the freedom to be entirely themselves while always providing a soft place to land. It is deeply cozy, incredibly touching, and the perfect film for a Sunday afternoon.
III. Terms of Endearment
On enduring devotion and the evolution of love. Terms of Endearment is a cinematic classic that captures the beautiful, often complicated, and fiercely unbreakable bond between a mother and daughter. Spanning three decades, it refuses to paint their relationship as perfect, which is exactly what makes the underlying warmth so profound. It is a moving exploration of how a mother’s love evolves, anchoring us through every season of our lives. A masterpiece for those seeking a story of resilience and enduring devotion.
Cover: Die drei Lebensalter der Frau (The Three Ages of Woman) by Gustav Klimt, 1905, Oil on canvas