The View From Here – Butterscotch Chips
I was reminded today of the goodness of people with a simple bag of butterscotch chips.
I love to bake at Christmas and there are two recipes I use the most and I use every single year. They come from my mom’s recipe book. She made them for us as kids, and now I continue the tradition making them every year for my own family. It doesn’t feel like Christmas until I have put on her torn and tattered, much loved, much used apron, and make the Christmas Moments and Christmas Clusters.
The only problem was, when I went to make them – the stores were all out of butterscotch chips. Seriously. There must be a lot more recipes I’m not aware of that require butterscotch chips because you can’t find them ANYWHERE. I was feeling pretty discouraged and didn’t really want to NOT make them but I was willing to go a Christmas without them.
So when someone showed up at the back door with a package of the butterscotch chips I needed to make my mom’s cookies I was pretty excited. Pretty thankful. Pretty encouraged.
That’s the spirit of Christmas.
At a time when the world feels pretty dark, and online can be so negative – butterscotch chips made me realize that there is good people in the world and there is good in people. And that makes me smile.
Thank you Noelle for the butterscotch chips and for going out of your way to get them in my hands. My mom would love that too.
It’s been 31 years of Christmas without her and it doesn’t get easier. I think of her a lot at Christmas. My brother and sister too.
My mom made Christmas special. I remember so many things from those days when I was younger. The holidays were always about family. It’s what I remember the most. And it’s what I want for my kids.
I want my kids to remember the Christmas Clusters “that mom always made” and maybe share them with their families down the road. And I can only hope that someday my kids will say that about me. “Mom made Christmas special.”
Keep the spirit of the season going even beyond the holidays. Be that person for someone else. Be the one to help out with the butterscotch chips. Whatever that might be.
It was a nice reminder today of the good in the world. The kindness of strangers.
The smallest gesture can be the biggest gift.
Merry Christmas.
x
Carrie