nos·tal·gia - [no-stal-juh, -jee-uh, nuh-] -- noun
a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former time or place
While shopping yesterday for the girls' snacks, we came across an old familiar face! We were in the cookie/cracker aisle when Charles said, "Carie! Look! Do you remember these?" He picked up a box of Barnum's Animals Crackers! "Of course I remember those!"
I don't have very many happy memories of my childhood, but once I saw the red circus box with animals on it, a very happy sense of nostalgia kicked in! I remember being rewarded with these after a shopping trip with my Mom for being good! I remember being so proud that I got to hold onto the little box by the white string as I proudly ate each cracker. I use to hunt through my box to find the animal shapes that matched the ones on the box. I remember I was happy
We decided to go ahead and buy 3 boxes! They were $1.25 each (ouch) but we wanted to reward the girls for being so good in the store with us. It made me very happy watching Caitlin walk around the store with her red box being held by the white string while Rosalie was trying very hard to get into the box and get the crackers out! The final box sat in the cart waiting to be consumed by Charles and I.
As soon as we were done and in the parking lot of the store, the girls were begging us to open their boxes. Seeing that the packaging on the inside was the same made me giggle! The girls dove into their boxes! Caitlin would tell us which animal she had and then make the sound of that animal as she ate the cracker!
Charles got our box out and ripped into it fast! I decided to savor the first cracker I ate. It was a mix of vanilla deliciousness with a hint of lemon. Such fond memories of my childhood. I remember when the boxes were only $0.15! It wasn't such a burden for my Mom to buy a box each for my brothers and I. But whatever the is cost now, making memories is priceless!
I hope that one day our girls will be grown, go shopping with their children, and have the same happy sense of nostalgia that Charles and I had when they find the little red boxes sitting on a shelf next to the cookies and crackers.
I can't wait for the day when Vivian can enjoy her own box of crackers!
