--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Her father had taught her about hands…" description: "\"Her father had taught her about hands. About a dog's paws. Whenever her father was alone with a dog in a house he would lean over and smell the skin at..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/michael-ondaatje-940_animal_her-father-had-taught-her-about-hands-ab_54949.png" --- # Her father had taught her about hands. About a dog's paws… ![“Her father had taught her about hands. About a dog's paws. Whenever her father was alone with a dog in a house he would lean over and smell the skin at the base of its paw. This, he would say, as if coming away from a brandy snifter, is the greatest smell in the world! A bouquet! Great rumours of…” quote by Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/michael-ondaatje-940_animal_her-father-had-taught-her-about-hands-ab_54949.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/michael-ondaatje-940_animal_her-father-had-taught-her-about-hands-ab_54949.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/michael-ondaatje-940_animal_her-father-had-taught-her-about-hands-ab_54949.png) > “Her father had taught her about hands. About a dog's paws. Whenever her father was alone with a dog in a house he would lean over and smell the skin at the base of its paw. This, he would say, as if coming away from a brandy snifter, is the greatest smell in the world! A bouquet! Great rumours of travel! She would pretend disgust, but the dog's paw was a wonder: the smell of it never suggested dirt. It's a cathedral! her father had said, so-and-so's garden, that field of grasses, a walk through cyclamen--a concentration of hints of all the paths the animal had taken during the day.” [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage celebrates sensory perception as a portal to memory and wonder, using a father's reverence for a dog's paw scent to illustrate how ordinary details can evoke profound, almost sacred experiences. **In simple terms:** Sensory details reveal hidden depth. Key Takeaway Every small scent can hold a world of meaning. Themes Sensory perception Memory Nature appreciation Childhood wonder Transcendence Mood Nostalgic Reverent Curious Type Literary description Philosophical reflection When to use this quote - Walking a garden, Observing a pet, Reflecting on childhood, Experiencing a new environment Key Concepts Smell as metaphor Connection to place Aesthetic reverence Practical Applications - Creative writing inspiration, Mindful observation practice Questions to Reflect On - How does a simple scent trigger complex memories? - What does the father's description tell us about his worldview? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Cathedrals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cathedrals/) [Concentration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concentration/) [Dirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirt/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Garden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/garden/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Rumours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rumours/) [Smell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smell/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“but the dog’s paw was a wonder: the smell of it never suggested dirt. 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