How Little Debbie’s Christmas Cakes Nearly Reduced Me to Tears in the Grocery Store
I was grocery shopping and was amazed at how quickly the seasons were changing! All the Halloween Candy were crammed into a corner, and the Seasonal aisle had magically transformed from Halloween to Christmas!
It's not even November 1st and Christmas has come to the grocery stores! I get it, I love Christmas, and the Christmas season goes way too fast. In fact this year because of the timing of Thanksgiving, there are only 31 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Every year the Christmas season goes too fast, because we are too busy. We don't have time to sit back and enjoy the season!
This Christmas will be the 2nd year without my Dad. He loved Little Debbie's Christmas Cakes.The winter he and my mom spent a winter with us in Bangor while I was having chemo and radiation for nasal cancer, my Dad was introduced to the tasty treat! I would always ask him if he had found them in Florida, and would often send him a box or two, as an early Christmas present!
Well 2 years ago, with my Dad sick, I sent him a case of 30 or 48. It was enough that he could have 1 every night for dessert between Thanksgiving and Christmas! My wife and I would then call my Mom and Dad via the Alexa Show, and we would video chat, and then we would share our Christmas Cake. My Dad would eat his, and I'd eat mine. It was like we were having dessert together, even though we were thousands of miles apart.
And to see the look of joy on the face of my Dad as he took a bite of the Christmas Cake was pure heaven. He could make his last for 5 minutes taking mouse sized bites!
So when I saw them yesterday in the store, all the memories and all the feels came flooding back. The giant lump formed in my throat and the tears started to leak from my eyes. Even as I'm writing this now, my eyes are tearing. I miss my Dad, and the holidays are tough for anyone who's lost a loved one.
I managed not to buy any Christmas Cakes yesterday, but I'll probably pick up a box next week. It's for my Dad. I'll have one at dessert and raise my glass to my Dad in a toast. I know you're in heaven and will hopefully see you again soon.
Meanwhile now that I know that they're out in the stores, hopefully I can get down that aisle without crying, otherwise it's going to be an awful long lead-up to Christmas!