I have partnered with Milk to bring you information about the Holiday Give Together and The Great American Milk Drive. Though I have been compensated for this post, my thoughts and words are my own.
Christmas morning is around the corner. Many of my fond Christmas memories begin the same way. Christmas Eve usually ended with the baking of chocolate chip cookies, the pouring of a glass of milk, and enjoying a cookie or two before leaving them for Santa – you know just to make sure they tasted right. Finally, we, the children, would be coaxed to go to bed after we had poured a glass for Santa and left an ample supply of cookies for him.
The next morning, Christmas morning, the milk would be gone, and crumbs would litter the tray. I’m not sure if the high-quality protein in milk powered Santa or his sleigh. At any rate, his glass was not the only one that needed to be filled on Christmas morning. You see, Christmas didn’t actually start until my grandfather arrived. He often beat us to the living room, being the big kid he was, and excitement ensued once he did arrive. It was as if he was Santa’s official emissary.
The image is still burned in my brain. He would come in with a sack full of gifts, collapse into my mom’s favorite reading chair, coat still on and hat sitting crooked on his head. It was as if he had traveled all night with Santa.
Before he would present any gifts, and thus begin the process of Christmas, he would look at me and say, “Hey fella, get me a glass of milk.” I could never get that glass of milk fast enough, I was always too excited. Yet, I would dutifully return with a tall glass of milk with two ice cubes and a straw. That’s how he liked it. And after that first sip, Christmas would begin.
To say that milk played a large role in our Christmas is an understatement. I haven’t included in this post the amount of cooking my mom did Christmas Eve and Day, the cups of milk that were added as ingredients for not only the cookies, but the mac and cheese (that was the signature side dish in my home), the mashed potatoes, the breads, the desserts, etc. We always went through a lot of milk – and that was before the customary glasses that we consumed with cookies or other such desserts.
I can’t imagine Christmas without milk. And for that reason, I am going to make my final plea of this campaign for donations to The Great American Milk Drive. I’ve touched on the nutrition before – the 9 essential nutrients including 8 grams of high-quality protein, but what gets missed is the nostalgia. The dignity of choosing what to eat and cook – or even how to prepare it. I was blessed to have the Christmas mornings that I had as a kid, and I will fully admit that there is a great deal that I took for granted including the supply of milk in my fridge.
It would bring great joy to my heart to help provide some glasses of holiday joy to others through my Milk Drive. To date we have raised almost $500 in milk donations, and I would like to keep filling that proverbial glass. While the story I have just shared is related to Christmas, the need for milk is not restricted to any holiday. The need for milk is real and constant. My grandfather was big on helping others, somehow I think the Holiday Give Together would be right up his alley, but he would probably tell us not to forget about these empty glasses after the holidays were over.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for your donations. I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season.
That’s it for now. Captain…out. Happy Holidays!
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