My mom had a sweet tooth. She loved pies, cakes, muffins, and pastries. There was always something sugary to eat in our house. We even had a drawer in the kitchen that stored our bread plus lots of baked goods hidden underneath.
However, the coolest part about having a mom who adored confections was our candy jar. Mom always had the clear glass jar with the lid on the side on our kitchen counter. It was filled with root beer barrels, Dum-Dum suckers, Tootsie Rolls, mini 3 Musketeers, and Milky Way bars. Every time my friends came over they knew they were always welcome to visit the candy jar.
During Christmas, the jar contained candy canes, cinnamon hard candies, foil-wrapped chocolate Santas, and the peppermint nougats with the little Christmas tree in the middle. The jar had a familiar “clink” as you set the lid on so we always knew when someone needed a little piece of sweet comfort.
Over the years the candy jar migrated into a candy cupboard. Maybe mom was tired of filling up the jar. It was always in view and it needed to be “out of sight, out of mind” so it wouldn’t need to be replenished as often. Even though the vessel was different, the contents of the cupboard didn’t waiver for years. As my siblings started leaving home to start our adult lives, the quantity of the candy did diminish, and most likely the space in the cupboard was eventually replaced with batteries, dried-up pens, and cough drops.
Hereditary indicates her sweet tooth gene certainty was passed down to her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. I’m sure she’d be quite pleased knowing her love of sugar still lies deep within us. So, cheers, Mom! Here’s to a late-night snack of a hot cup of black coffee, a fresh pastry, and maybe even a candy cane! We miss you so much, especially at Christmas with all the cookies and treats you worked so hard to make for us each year.
I have the privilege to house my mom’s candy jar in my kitchen. Maybe I ended but with it because I was the one that ate the most candy out of it?! That’s highly probable.
