A Bite Into Remembrance

The York Peppermint Patty, a classic confectionary concoction of wonderfully blissful dark chocolate and a creamy refreshing mint center --without a doubt it remains a favorite in the hearts, or rather, the stomachs of so many people around the world... but is there more to it than just meets the tongue?

Recently, my mom had bought me a Peppermint Patty of my own after I had mentioned how I hadn't had one for quite some time (we're talking years here). I came to find it neatly placed on my computer desk in its shiny silver wrapper, and after thanking her for being so thoughtful, proceeded to eating it, or rather, savoring it... and that I did. However, with every bite my mind became flooded with memories and I became less focused on what is and more focused on what was. It was overwhelming at first yet completely explainable in as little as two words: Sense Memory.

Sense memory is the interaction between senses and memory in which stimuli are received via the senses and evoke memories stored within an individual's brain. For example, you're at a bake sale and you smell someone's freshly baked chocolate chip cookies at one of the baked goods stands, the scent of the cookies then evoke memories of when you used to go over your grand-mom's house as a child and bake chocolate chip cookies of your own with her.

For me, it wasn't about baking chocolate chip cookies with my grand-mom as a kid, but rather how something as simple as eating a Peppermint Patty could bring back so many memories I had of my grand father as a kid. The Peppermint Patty which remained a favorite of his, next to butter creams, evoked memories I held dear to me as a child and even now. From the trips to the local convenience stores for slushees and candy, to him bringing all the grandchildren home chicken fingers from our favorite place, to all the times he'd take the family out to dinner on the house, it was like a huge tidal wave of emotions that finally culminated to its peak and crashed down on me. It reminded me of how much he meant to not only myself but the rest of my family, how much he did for us during his lifetime... and how much he's missed.

In the normal hustle and bustle of everyday life, it's easy to forget to count our blessings and remember the little things. It's important to take the time to pause that busy lifestyle of ours for just a few moments, and to be grateful for and remember everything we have and everyone we love and hold dear to our hearts, because with a blink of an eye it can all be gone. After my little Peppermint Patty experience today, I took the time to remember my grand father and give thanks to him and all he has done for those around him and for those that admired him dearly and proudly looked up to him -- one being myself.

So what I ask in turn is that, who-so-ever reads this blog post think about what you have to be thankful for, and feel free to share your own personal story (if you have one) of how something you experienced evoked memories of your own.