My Mom

It's so hot outside this weekend, that all one can really think about is plunging into a swimming pool, or drinking something icy cold. This took me back to the days when my parents would take me to the neighborhood ice cream parlor.

I must have acquired my love of chocolate from my mother, because Dad can't stand it. In fact, he's just not much on any type of sweets. But when I was a kid, and we went for ice cream he would order one. Usually two scoops of butter pecan on a cone, but sometimes just plain old vanilla. Personally, I always thought that was insane, because when it came to ice cream, I was going to have some form of chocolate. Usually chocolate almond. This brings me to my mom. In all the years we went to the ice cream shop, I'm pretty sure she always ordered the same thing....a large chocolate malt. Then we'd go sit out front of the shop and have our ice cream at one of the little tables. Even though I had my cone, I always wanted a sip of Mom's malt, and she always gave me one.

Even in her later years Mom never stopped craving the cold, creamy chocolate concoction. The neighborhood ice cream parlor closed down a long time ago, so a chocolate milkshake from McDonalds would usually have to suffice. Many times when Dad would be out running errands, Mom would call him and ask him to bring her one, and he always would.

Nowadays when I go for ice cream, I often order a chocolate malt of my own. I always smile when my daughter asks for a sip, and like my mom, I always give her one.