easter candy

I grew up in what some would consider an odd home--odd for a Christian home, that is. Odd because we didn't celebrate the two biggest Christian holidays--Christmas and Easter--let alone pagan holidays like Halloween (and my parents were serious about the "pagan"--historically). My parents had their reasons: Santa Claus; the Easter Bunny; my uncle and aunt, to whom they were very close (they didn't celebrate either). But one thing my mom always did for me around this time of year, all the way up to last year, was buy me Cadbury creme eggs.

Cadbury creme eggs are my favorite Easter candy. Actually, they're really the only Easter candy I eat. But I easily eat more than a dozen in an Easter season (from the time they start selling them to the time they go on clearance, after Easter). And mom always made sure to buy me at least one four-pack during that time, even after I went away to school--she'd mail them to me. That helped the first year, especially, when I started to panic (alright, maybe panic is a bit too strong, but you get the idea) because I couldn't find them in the grocery stores in that middle-of-nowhere city and state. (I think I eventually found them at Target, but they didn't start carrying them as early as I had hoped.) I don't remember when the tradition started, but I do remember mom buying them every year, just like she bought my sister Peeps. It's a little thing she did that I doubt dad knew anything about.

Today I went into a drugstore to buy Twix PB, which I've been craving this last trimester of my pregnancy. They had just about every other candy known to man, but no Twix PB. I almost walked out in disappointment, but then I realized they had the Easter displays up. When I saw the Cadbury creme eggs, I thought of mom. I bought two boxes instead of the usual one I would pick up, thinking of her. I'll eat them, of course; it's just a bit sad that I'll be buying all of my Easter candy for myself this year. I'll have to find something special my kid(s) loves and buy it every year for him/her and keep mom's tradition alive.