Friends

I grew up with parents who were resourceful in making ends meet. I didn't see us as being poor because they made sure that we had what we needed, but not always what we wanted.

I used to be envious of my classmates who's mom's packed their lunch pails with what my mom always exclaimed as "expensive". Sometimes, it wasn't that the cereal was expensive as much as it was "filled with sugar". Other times, my mom wanted us to eat a balanced lunch and not just fill up on "junk". That meant, fruit, a sandwich and chips and a the dreaded scooter pie.



My sister and I were in the same class in elementary school and we played together and made other friends to join our "club" (because, there was always a boys chase the girls club or best friends club, etc.) The new girl, Angela was so shy and quiet that she was often passed by or sat by herself at lunchtime. The lunch pails would open and of course the kids would yell, "I'll trade you!" They never wanted to trade with my twin sister and I. We always had the same old boring scooter pies (whoopie pies as some call them) or sugar cookies which I hated but ate just because. This particular day, Angela pulled out her lunch and she had the most delicious looking oatmeal cookies. Now, call it the cookies or just the desire to make a new friend, my sister and I decided to be her friend. We moved our lunch pails over to where she sat. We made small talk but enough to figure out that Angela was pretty nice, even though she was shy. We began having lunch with Angela every day until one day, Angela said the words that every kid wanted to hear. She said, "Twins, you can have these cookies if you want them." We looked at each other and then at what we had to trade. She read our thoughts and said, "Oh, you don't have to trade. You can have them, since you're so nice to me."

We were in second grade when we became friends with Angela. She didn't stay at the school for very long but yet, it was enough for us to find a new friend. I have to admit that every time I see a Mother's Old Fashioned Oatmeal cookie, I often think of her.

Do you have childhood memories that have stuck with you?