Sometimes it’s the little things that we remember most at this time of year

I had to make a quick run into a grocery store to pick up some whole raw cranberries which were an essential ingredient in a new recipe I wanted to try out. Next to the cranberry display was a cross-marketing ploy of a candy display. That’s when I literally stopped in my tracks. Not because I needed candy for my recipe, but because of the candy itself- Chicken bones.

I was instantly transported to my grandmother’s house. She always had these candies (and a few other specific ones) in a dish in the kitchen and in the parlour. I don’t ever recall eating them in any other place other than her house.

My grandmother died many decades ago, but her memory lives on in many ways. Memories are triggered in many ways. I associate certain baking smells with her- particularly her lemon loaf and the cookies, lemon or apple pies and marble cakes that would often be cooling in the pantry upon our arrival. The sounds I associate with her would be the rhythm of the rocking chair, and the sound of the television shows and radio shows she used to love listening to.

In conclusion, it is the good memories that we hold onto when someone passes. They are a way to cope when things get tough.