Jelly Beans

Memories are funny things. A song, an object, a smell, a thought . . . can trigger all kinds of memories. Walking through a grocery store recently, I noticed bins of different flavors of jelly beans and suddenly I slipped back in time to my childhood days when I'd enter my mom's office. She always had a glass jar on her desk that was filled with an assortment of jelly beans. I remember going to the candy store with her to pick out the sweets she always had in her office. There was a variety of all kinds of things in her office but the items I remember the most were the vast array of jelly beans: coconut, lemon, strawberry, grape, pineapple, lime . . . Every time I walked into her office it felt like I'd walked into a candy shop. There was always a surprise for us and she'd always allow us to take some of her jelly beans and other items.

Jelly beans are a reminder of who my mom was. She was a funny, energetic and optimistic person who always tried to find good in difficult situations. Her desire was to add happiness and encouragement to other people's lives. Jelly beans are a reminder of the legacy my mom left for us.

What will you be remembered for? What will your legacy be?