Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Love in a Candy Box
a love story

I have posted this many times before. I think it is appropriate to post this month as it is the anniversary of my father's passing, may he rest in peace.
I had originally posted Wednesday Haiku..but I will post that on Thursday instead.

 My father was a romantic.

He loved my mother  and he loved her mother, who lived with us most of my life, very much also. He showed such a great deal of respect for her and for his own parents and as my maternal Grandmother said.."He is better to me than 20 sons".

My father was head chemist and vice president of a chemical company here in New Jersey who, for many reasons, later opened a soda fountain/ice cream shop that eventually became a   stationary store in a tiny town, selling stationary to big business  and cards and school supplies from the main store.

He took a beating money wise later on from malls and the big stationary chain stores.

But he was honest to a fault and ever the romantic who learned constantly.  You never saw him without a scholarly work in his hands.

He would bring home boxes of candy to my mother and grandmother sometimes after work as a treat, one I would share in.

Once, I remember him walking home without his brand new coat because he had given it to the town homeless guy.
"Its only a block walk. It's not that cold out" he said standing there in his shirt sleeves.
A candy box was  tucked under his arm for Mother that night when he came home.
He sat down to dinner as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
For him it was not out of the ordinary at all.

He wore his old one from then on. It was just as good he said.
Upstairs, in my grandmothers bedroom, inside the closet on a shelf, were old candy boxes filled with her crochet work (she made fillet crochet that was so beautiful ), news clippings of her friends deaths, births of grandchildren, marriages,  cards from holidays, mementos and tiny souvenirs of times past. One was used to house her "good gloves" and "my good scarves".

I once asked her why she saved all those boxes.

"Oh, " she said, "its a shame to waste things".

"Yes", I said, "but you could fit this all in one or two hat boxes".

She looked at me with those pastel gray eyes , now half blind and said , "But there is so much love in these boxes".


8 comments:

  1. What a beautiful story - your parents, and especially your father, were gems! Lucky girl to have been raised in such a household.

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  2. Oh, Annie, what a precious father you had. He sounds like such a humble person. I'm sure you miss him a lot. I loved reading about your grandmother keeping her treasures in the candy boxes. She was right...a lot of love was in those boxes.

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  3. Thank you for sharing !
    It is the good memories that comfort us .
    Your blog is the candy box gift you give to us...
    so much love in it !
    Be well,my friend...

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  4. What a beautiful post, Annie...and I just want to comment and not meaning to sound weird, we all could be your Valentine...to bad we don't live closer, we would be picking you up for lunch, smiles.

    p.s. I just love your new header and I got a letter grade B for my first watercolor, smiles.

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    Replies
    1. WOOOO! B!!! Of course you did! That's so cool. Very happy to hear that.
      I'd love lunch with you. :)
      You made my day.

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  5. Beautiful, you were so blessed to have such a great family. Happy Valentine's Day!

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  6. Wow! What beautiful memories of your loving family. You were truly blessed to have such a loving and close knit family. No wonder you are such a wonderful and loving person Annie. I'm so happy to know you my friend.

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  7. That was priceless! I love that story. I would love to see you send that story to Guideposts magazine (are you familiar with it?) They use stories like that to encourage and bless people. You should try it. It certainly blessed me, (and everyone else above as well, I see by the comments). I would have loved to have looked in those candy boxes that belonged to your grandmother. I am sure they were truly chock full of LOVE. And your father and mother sound precious. You were truly blessed. Thank you for this Valentine story. I love it!!!!!

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