Memory shopping

I never new that memory shopping was a thing until I asked my mom why she was holding a can of anchovies. She told me when she saw the can it reminded her of her father. He used to eat a sandwich made of hard boiled eggs with anchovies on them. The memory made her smile so she is getting the anchovies.
I asked her if she does this often, she told me sometimes. Some foods bring back good memories of her parents, of being young, early days with dad. When she holds the can of food she travels back to those moments and it makes her smile, sometimes even laugh out loud. I began to wonder about some of my own purchases, so I looked through my pantry when I got home. I found the usual suspects, flour, seasonings, pasta, but way in the back was a box of danish delight desert mix. I dug it out and found it had expired several years ago. I had forgotten it was there. I clean out the cabinet every fall. How did I miss this expired box? I don’t think I missed it. I saved it. It reminds me of a time when we would all get together at the holidays and have the special rice pudding with, you guessed it, danish delight desert poured over the top.
Memory shopping, comfort foods. I guess it is all the same thing. We feed the soul as well as the body when we cook, so why not feed the memories as we shop. I pay more attention to moms food choices when we shop together now. When I notice she is choosing something different I will ask her about it and there is always a smile and a story connected to whatever she is holding.
So memory shopping is our new thing. People look when we start to laugh in the grocery isle but I don’t care. Mom is sharing pieces of the past with me that a can on the shelf has brought back to the surface. One day when she is no longer shopping with me, I will be able to touch a can and bring back the memory of mom laughing in the grocery store holding a can of anchovies. I’m a memory shopper and it feels good.