Jewels, Chocolates and Memories
My father had a little tradition around holidays and special occasions. He ALWAYS brought my mother a box of chocolate covered cherries. We kids watched him do that every time it was her birthday or a holiday.
My mother always seemed thrilled to get those candies. She would share one with each of us as she carefully unwrapped the plastic covering, but then we would never see the box again. I suspect she ate every one of the others all by herself when we weren’t looking.
For years after my father died, we kids made sure Mom had those same chocolates when a holiday came. Every once in a while my son shares a box with her even today.
It brings back good memories of that simple tradition for all of us.
I stopped by my favorite jewelry store yesterday. In this particular jewelry store they have a candy dish near the register. It’s always full of colorful hard candy. I am not generally tempted by hard candy and don’t pay much attention to it. However, this time, there was a large pumpkin full of chocolates on the other side of that counter.
Now that’s temptation.
Put chocolate in front of me and I’ll do most anything.
I was polite and asked if I could have a piece of candy from the pumpkin as I peered over the edge and deep down in the container. I thought to myself that the good candy is most often on the bottom and I began sorting through the pumpkin to find the perfect piece. It didn’t take long to come out with just the right selection.
“One of my favorites.” I said as I smiled and smelled the wrapper. “Mummmm.”
We all laughed as I savored the sweet treat piece by piece.
We continued talking about a holiday sale they are going to have soon as thoughts of my mother, my father and chocolate covered cherries filled my head. One of the employees said they were considering a chocolate fondue with tasty strawberries and other delights to serve during the event. Cherries would be good, I thought, as I remembered the ones my father lovingly shared with my mother each year.
We all agreed that chocolate was just the right temptation as we didn’t know many women who could refuse it at any time of the year, but especially around the high stress holidays.
Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t have to have a chocolate fondue set up to enjoy chocolate. Country girls enjoy the simplest of chocolates…be it tootsie rolls, dum dums or chocolate covered cherries.
Of course, men, you would fair well to not expect a country girl to let you get by with a bar of candy and that’s it. She may be calling you the “dum dum” then! Women can buy inexpensive chocolates for themselves, but they likely expect you to do better than that.
My wish for you today is that you enjoy chocolates often in your life – in moderation of course – but enjoy them none the less. Remember to thank the one who gives you chocolates along the way. Those tasty treats go a long way to making happy memories!
~ Joellen