Oh, to be young again!

I remember…
winter coats, really thick colorful gloves and rosy cheeks. My youngest brother and I playing in the snow without a care in the world. 

We’d come inside to hot chocolate and yaniqueque. We loved the snow then. 

I remember…
eating corn chips or Wise potato chips after getting picked up from school. 

We’d go to local parks and have a picnic with mom and dad. 

I remember…
the 25-cent blow pops we’d get from the liquor store whenever my dad went to play the lottery. 

And shortly heading over to my aunt Chea’s house where she’d have a variety of Entemann’s cakes waiting for us, and a cold beer for my dad. 

I remember…
Saturday food shopping trips to Shop Rite and waiting in line. 

My father always got us chocolate from the waiting aisle. Snickers for me, Butterfinger for my youngest brother and M&Ms for my two brothers who were home. 

I remember…
visiting family friends in Jersey City and hearing “sopa de caracol” as their eldest came in through the door. 

And raiding their candy jar. It was for my brother and I anyway.

I remember…
wanting to be a doctor, teacher, actress, criminologist, writer and then publicist. 

I stuck to writer in college. 

I remember…
wearing flower shirts and pants. 

My brothers had a blast with that. 

I remember…
ripping my pants one day while climbing over the fence. 

My mom wasn’t too happy about my tomboy ways. 

I remember…
doing whatever I could to get myself out of going to dance class. 

And somehow I graduated at 18. 

I remember…
not wanting to go to an all-girl Catholic high school and hating my mom for forcing me to do so. 

But that’s where I met the godmother of my sons. 

I remember…
all the sacrifices my parents made for us. 

And they are a lot similar to the ones we do for our own kids today. 

What childhood memories come to mind when you think back to your younger years? 


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