Big Sticks and Hot Dogs

Growing up in Southern California, we used to occasionally shop at what we called the "drive-thru dairy". This was a place where you could drive up in your car and purchase a few essential groceries like milk, cheese, butter, eggs and bread without leaving the comfort of your Buick. Some of the drive-thrus were located on actual family-owned dairies. Many of the dairies were eventually replaced by housing tracts and shopping malls, but much to the happiness of young mothers everywhere, the drive-thrus remained.

I can remember my mom picking us up after school in our root beer brown Riviera and stopping at "the dairy". Most times it was just so she could buy some milk for dinner. But every once in awhile, she would surprise us. After she placed her order with the young drive-thru employee, they would go to the various shelves and fridges to get everything on mom's list. They would then bring the groceries to the car window and take mom's money. It was a pretty special day when we spotted a brown box amongst all the items. Because we knew what treasure that plain, boring-looking box contained. Big Sticks. Mom would pass each of us a red and orange sticky piece of deliciousness and we would enjoy our frozen treat all the way home.

Now Big Sticks in and of themselves are really not all that special. They are just simple, cheap popsicles. It's not like we were getting the latest and greatest new toy or a twenty dollar bill. But man. Did it ever make us smile. I'm pretty sure I grinned all the way from Woodruff Ave. straight to Maidstone St.

For my nine year old, his "Big Stick" is a Costco hot dog. He loves nothing more than when I surprise him after school with a gross and disgusting meat-like substance on a bun. And I love nothing more than seeing the smile on his face when he discovers that I brought one home for him.

(This picture has nothing to do with Big Sticks or Costco and it is over a year old, but it was taken while sitting in a hot dog joint and has my three favorite men in it, so...)

There is a lot of things I've learned about being a mom over the years. Some of them I'm pretty good at. Others, I fail miserably. But one thing I think we could all learn, not just as moms, but also as people who love other people, is to find a simple, easy way to bring a smile to someone's face.

Go to Yogurtland "for no reason".

Stop at McDonalds after school and buy them a vanilla iced coffee and fries.

Mail them a card.

Send them a text.

Bring Starbucks to their door.

Funny how looking back, I don't "cherish" the fact that my mom always made sure my clothes were clean, my lunch was packed, or that I ate dinner every night. But I definitely cherish the memories of Big Sticks in the back seat of the Buick. Go make a memory today. 

Me? I'm heading to Costco. Better make sure I have an extra $1.50 in my pocket. :)