Mama Jones always had a pocket. Her house dresses all had at least one on the front and if she was dressed for bed, she wore a robe with pockets. And no matter what she was wearing you could rest assured that in one of those pockets there would be a folded Kleenex tissue and one of these:
That little packet of gum is so many things to me.
It is a hug from my Mama Jones, and the sweet memory of her soft voice telling me stories of her childhood.
It is remembering my little 7 year old legs climbing into her oh-so-high four-poster bed
when we'd have sleepovers.
It is the aroma that always enveloped her.
It is, in many ways, some of the best parts of my childhood.
For many years it was impossible to find Teaberry in our neck of the woods. Then one day a few years ago, while visiting the Amish Country in Ohio, we happened into a little general store with a huge selection of candies and gums, and lo and behold...there sat a box of Teaberry Gum. Right alongside the Black Jack (that strong licorice gum for which I could never develop a taste) and many other brands and flavors of long ago.
And you know I bought some. : )
Nowadays I see Teaberry here and there when we're out and about. Like all good things, it is making its way back around for yet another generation to enjoy. If you've never tasted it, give it a shot. It has a unique flavor and I really can't compare it to anything else.
What is it that brings back sweet childhood memories for you?
