Pepperoni Rolls, Twizzlers and Hot Chocolate

Just thinking… I would love to see a football game in person right now. Who else---? The mountain air is refreshing. It’s always an enjoyable experience. Last fall, besides the ball game, I enjoyed a heartwarming experience. So, I wrote:

WV Pepperoni rolls, chili fries, hot chocolate and Raspberry Twizzlers.

Saturday football. We wore so many layers of clothing to stay warm, we could have covered half the fans on our bleacher, which by the way was on the 34th row, high up toward the sky. Whew! anyway, I discovered that both my knees were the same age.

As we sat there enjoying the beauty of a very sunny fall day with the crisp air sweeping across our face, the sunlight's brilliance on the field intensified the colors, presenting a beautiful picture that made the cold air much more tolerable.

There was another picture being painted on my mind that brought tears to my eyes and drew a reminiscence from many years ago. The presence of three young boys who sat in front of us on the bleachers, high up in the stadium. I can’t help but notice children in my presence. Mentally, I go back to many years ago when our children were growing up and enjoying a parade of friends thru the years. Friends who were welcomed in our house and at our table.

The picture before me in that moment, sitting high up in the stadium on metal seats, on a perfectly designed football weather day, was that of 2 famous WV pepperoni rolls, 1 tray of chili fries, 3 cups of hot chocolate and a couple of Raspberry Twizzlers. I couldn't help it because a tear came to my eye. Those three little boys, I'd guess around 12 years old, were enjoying their football game and the food that made it a great and enjoyable day out with their parents. They whispered occasionally, after someone kept yelling from the bleachers, and they would glance back to each other with a gentle smile and two of them gave a look of “uh oh” as the loud fan's screams were punctuated by a profanity.

Those young boys just blessed me so much that I wish I could hug them and tell them to” be sure you don't forget this day.” But I'm sure they won't need to be reminded. Someday, out in the distant future, these young fellas will find themselves hiking up the bleacher steps with a little fella of their own and they will be proud to share from their youthful days.

For a number of years, now I have been keenly aware of living, family portraits being painted right before my eyes: a dad holding his little toddler’s hand as they walk across Wal Mart’s parking lot, a mother cradling her infant to her chest as she sits in the doctor’s waiting room, a little one picks up a small toy in the department store and asks, ‘Mommy, will you buy me this?” And what about that sweet face riding the cart being pushed through the aisles, legs swinging and eyes glancing at other shoppers as they pass. Many of those tug at my heart and I want to go hug them.  One day I was in Wal-Mart and it was a wider aisle, I was going one direction and a mother with three little boys in tow came walking down that same aisle, the mother walked past me with two of those little ones but the third came walking up to me, lifted up his ball cap and asked me, “Is my hair messed up?” “Why no, I exclaimed, you look great!” He smiled, put his cap back on and quickly ran to his mommy. A million- dollar moment.

We mothers are such tender hearts, and it seems that one glance at these precious little ones causes our eyes to leak…for me, the heart is so connected to the visual along life’s pathways.

I was so captivated on one occasion several years ago, I was so smitten by the cherub face of a little one riding a cart that I asked the mother permission to purchase her a bag of Cheeto cheese puffs and she agreed. Did my heart good, y’all.

In all of this, my motto is to “take notice of those around you.” I have had many life lessons by doing just that.

Who knew that pepperoni rolls, chili fries, hot chocolate and Twizzlers could bring a tear to a momma's eye?