Gimme Some Candy!

I love candy. I look at it. I smell it. I savor it. I hide it. I have a large collection of it. The above picture was not taken at a candy store. It was taken the other day in my living room. Yes, this is my personal stash. This is by far the largest accumulation I've ever had at one time. I didn't plan it this way. It just kind of ... happened. I find after-holiday markdowns, or family and friends gift me some (the best kind of present), or I see a treat I can't pass up. The cycle repeats. I eat my candy a little at a time. I take small bites to properly savor it. I share it when the occasion arises, but even then I might go buy different candy so as to not make a significant dent in my inventory. (Could this be a mental handicap? Perhaps. But it's a yummy one, so I'm willing to deal with it.) And so my stockpile just keeps growing, and growing, and GROWING.

It's a family affair. Both my sisters have similar fixations with candy and also collect it in varying degrees. (Erin may even have MORE than I do!) My brother loves it just as much, but he consumes it before it can qualify as a collection.

I have been crazy about candy for as long as I've known it. Though I can't recall my first taste of it, I'm sure it was love at first bite. From the time I was old enough to independently leave the confines of my neighborhood it was one candy run after another. We lived in close proximity to a few stores. Anytime I had money I immediately headed to the store to satiate my sweet tooth. I realize it's not unusual for kids to crave candy, but I think my relationship with it is...unique. I used to talk about naming my future children after it! (Candy, Taffy and Jujube come to mind.) And I've always wished someone would dedicate the song "Candy Girl", by Frankie Valli or "Sugar, Sugar", by The Archies to me. I'm still waiting. I connect with candy. Something special happens when I see it. It's a deeply rooted, can't get enough-- affection for confection.