Dark Cherry Memories

I read once that smell is the sense most tied to memory. Since I can conjure clear images of two old boyfriends based on the scents from Polo and Fahrenheit cologne alone, this may in fact be true. But smell isn't the only sense that brings back powerful memories - taste does too.

I was on Facebook a couple of weeks ago doing my normal kvetching about drinking too much coffee, wanting to quit even though I didn't think I could live without the caffeine, etc. when an old college friend mentioned her Starbucks drink of choice - dark cherry mocha. She said it tasted like you were drinking a chocolate covered cherry. My head snapped to attention because I knew immediately how much I would love this drink just from her description. I even asked a barista at my local Starbucks to make me one a week before they were officially selling them. And with one sip, the most powerful image came into my head - of my Dad.

You see, when I was a little girl, I used to go everywhere with my Dad. This included trips to our neighborhood Wawa, which was a convenience store pretty much like 7-Eleven. Most of the time, we were picking up milk, or getting the Sunday paper, or running some other errand for my Mom. Regardless of the purpose of the trip, I always managed to talk my Dad into buying me a couple of those little red foil wrapped Cella's chocolate covered cherries.

Wawa had a big jar of them on the counter, right next to the register. I think they were two cents a piece, so I could get two for a nickel and have a penny in change. I've had a sweet tooth my whole life, and lucky for me, my Daddy always seemed to have a spare nickel.

I miss him every day. So now there is really no chance of me giving up coffee... thank you Starbucks.