Avocados and Pantene

in Giggles on June 21, 2017

So, there’s a tropical storm looking to stir up some trouble on the Gulf coast this weekend. Naturally, the local news in Houston is advising all viewers to head to the grocery stores and stock up on supplies.

I had to smile.

I also went to the store…not necessarily because I have major concerns for Tropical Storm Cindy, but because Summer is in full swing at my house, and if I’m not at the grocery store every-other-day, the manager at my neighborhood grocer begins to worry. As I was cruising through the produce section, I stopped at the avocados, picked one up, and my eyes filled with tears.
I know…it’s a bit early in the kids’ summer vacation for a nervous breakdown…let me explain…

When I was a kid, my parents worked hard; they didn’t just work hard from 9-5…they worked HARD…Monday through Saturday, 7am-7pm. Hard. They had six people to feed, clothe, and shelter. That’s a big deal. I was seven when my mother married the man I call Dad. He took me on to raise and love, and provide for. That wasn’t always easy. And when my little sisters started arriving, an already tight budget got even tighter.

I remember one summer evening, my sisters were itty-bitties…come to think of it, my youngest sister may not have even been born yet, we were sitting down to dinner. That particular night, dinner consisted of a can of salmon, a couple of hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes from my grandfather’s garden, Saltine crackers and one avocado. The avocado stands out the most because avocados were expensive, and Dad brought one home…for us to share. Yesterday, I stood in the grocery store looking at a mountain of avocados, and could have bought as many as I wanted to, but I think about that Summer night when eating avocados was a delicacy.

It’s funny the things that pop into your mind and the items that cross your path. Apparently THIS was supposed to be my post this week because while waiting for my youngest kiddo to finish up his bass guitar lessons yesterday, I scrolled through the Top 15 Things Only Costco Kids Appreciate (or something equally catchy). Growing up, I was actually a SAMS Club kid, but who’s counting? We didn’t do name brand ANYTHING at our house growing up…like Pantene shampoo. I wanted to use Pantene so badly; for no other reason than the commercials I saw on TV. But, it was too expensive…and my parents’ reasoning, “It’s all the same stuff inside different bottles anyway.” Thanks, guys.

These days I watch my daughter go through bottle after bottle of hair care and skin care and any other kind of hygiene-related product…she finds the ones she likes and passes the information on to me. Don’t get me wrong, I still shop at Costco and SAMS, but when I want a bottle of Pantene or Moroccan Oil Shampoo, I can go get it.

I learned a lot from my parents growing up. I learned how to work for what I wanted. I learned that NOT getting my way, didn’t kill me…nor will it kill my children. There is no substitute for hard work and ethics. And even though I can buy all the avocados I can eat today, they don’t taste as good as they did when Dad brought it home and paired it with Papa’s tomatoes.

Here’s hoping the things you remember bring you joy!

-Dallas