The Little Things

It started with the shaking noise. Swish, swish, swish.  Forever is how the waiting felt as I reached up and gripped the edges of the counter top, standing as close as I dared while my mom worked at the gas stove.

Then…magic.  I heard the sizzle and smelled the heavenly aroma of popcorn and salt. Pop!  …Pop pop pop pop! The foil top ballooned and steam escaped like a popcorn volcano. Soon we munched happily, but the making of it was always the best part.

Yes, I’m talking about Jiffy Pop popcorn.

It was one of my favorite memories from the growing-up years.  We only had Jiffy Pop when we took family trips to the mountains of northern New Mexico, so it was quite a treat.

Isn’t it funny how sometimes the littlest things stick with you, creating triggers of those happy times?  And you can’t predict what they will be; often it’s the tiniest, random things or moments that find their way into permanent residence in your heart. To this day I make a point of continuing the Jiffy Pop tradition any time my family goes camping.

What are some of the little things you remember that bring warm memories to mind?