Early in my working life, I held several sales positions for which I traveled a bit.

Back then, hotel chain loyalty programs did not feature elaborate point systems which could be applied to lodging for personal vacations (or maybe the companies I worked for did not book accommodations through the better chains).

For me, the perks of this lifestyle included bedside TV remotes and unfamiliar cable stations to explore; sometimes a bathtub with working, Jacuzzi-like jets; and a complimentary toiletry tray.

The bathroom and “tray” items always were among the first things I’d check out. Sometimes, the set of amenities was generic. Labels only bore the name of the hotel.

Sometimes, a hotel would gift guests with L’Occitane or C.O. Bigelow or some high-end brand of lotions as if seeing “real shea butter” on an ingredient label, would influence future lodging decisions.

I’d invariably discard the shower cap and shampoo (I liked my own brand), but the little travel-sized tubes or bottles of lotion always came home with me.

I didn’t give this much thought for a long time, but I guess the idea that lotion is a precious commodity has been in the back of my mind for a long time.

Lotion is important. I felt a strong sense of urgency about picking up some during my last shopping excursion. Winter winds and spending so much time indoors with the furnace on non-stop had taken a toll.

After I satisfied my urge to get skin lotion, I decided to look up whether lotion was a big deal for anyone else. I found a site online that included quotes about “lotion.”  (Who knew, right?)

“Money is the best lotion in the world.”  Chris Rock

‘Ancient Hawaiians say, “When you’re itching for the waves, the only lotion is the ocean.”’ Josep Broz Tito

“Tears are nature’s lotion for the eyes. The eyes see better for being washed by them.” Christian Nestell Bovee

“There’s lotion for your face, for your hands, for your feet, for your body? Why? What would happen if you put hand lotion on your feet? Would your feet get confused and start clapping?”  Ellen de Generes

“I love to put on lotion. Sometimes I’ll watch TV and go into a lotion trance for an hour. I try to find brands that don’t taste bad in case anyone wants to taste me.”  Angelina Jolie

Many different thoughts run through these words.

Lotion can be thought of as a kind of lubrication. Its value is not in its composition or in the sum of its ingredients so much as in its ability to keep other things running smoothly.

Lotion is a euphemism for the important element that satisfies a craving or scratches an itch. It seems that everyone is seeking some sort of metaphorical lotion to make them feel better.

Lotion, and the ritual of applying it to your own skin, is an act of pampering, of self-love.

Even though I thought I was just trying to moisturize — I wanted to avoid the sound and sensation of chapped skin against chapped skin — I suppose I longed to feel juicy in many ways.

It’s so amazing that a little bit, rubbed in gently, gives me the feeling of coming back to life.

Heeding the call to renew and rejuvenate is no small thing