We all die, but have we all truly lived.
It is
common knowledge that ice cream is a comfort food.
Why is
it when someone dies, someone you know really well, you begin to reflect on
your childhood. On Oct 9th my
grandmother, at the age of 96, passed away and it got me to thinking. Especially about moments and experiences you
shared together with that person you really loved.
Among
other things, I remember the things that she had at her house to eat. The one tasty treat that sticks out most in
my mind has to be the ice cream sandwiches.
When I
was a kid there was nothing like going to my Grammy’s house and the first thing
my brothers and I would often do was go into her basement. The basement door was about ten feet from the
side door of the house where would enter and it was the first thing on our
minds. As we cracked the door open we would
run down the wooden stairs and onto the concrete floor. And then race over the deep freezer and
struggle to get the heavy door open. Then to our glee, those ice cream
sandwiches were sitting there just waiting for us to arrive.
Now, ice
cream sandwiches are not my favorite treat, however there was a just certain
euphoria that overtook me when I picked up the box and got a sandwich out. Then I would sit on her couch to eat it and always
got a gooey mess all over my fingers. There
was just something about knowing there was something special waiting for me
each time we came to visit.
But the
thing I remember most about my Grammy was how she accepted me for who I was-
her grandson. There was a time in my
elementary school years when I had an issue.
Each summer I would have a chance to have a vacation at her house for a
few days. However, when it came time to go
to sleep I would get homesick and call for my parents to pick me up.
It
became a real source of embarrassment for me a kid, but something I grew out of
in junior high. However, whenever it was
mentioned in passing around her over the years she would never put me down for
it. It was just something that happened,
water under the bridge and my status as her grandson would protect me from any further
harassment.
Tasty treats can remind us of people who whose memory has
left a good taste in our minds.
Swavel
