I saw someone pose the above question on Facebook this past week and it got me to thinking. Growing up in a preacher and teacher’s family with 4 children was something that I treasure. I had all that I needed and more. We didn’t have a lot of extras but what we did have was plenty. My parents raised us with a sense of responsibility and stewardship for our environment and with a respect for all. I can’t think of much better principles, can you?
But the above question got me thinking. What was a luxury to me as a youngster? Definitely pop (or soda depending on where you hail from). We rarely had it in the house and when we did it was for a special occasion. I distinctly remember having it when we had a babysitter. Of course we did not get an entire can to ourselves but I think we shared two cans between the four of us. My sister has a better memory about stuff like this so she might correct me.
I wasn’t a real doll lover but I do remember kind of wishing I had a Barbie doll. I never did have one and when my friends had them I kind of remember being a little bit envious. But I did have Wuzzy my teddy bear and he was the perfect confidant.
We didn’t go out to eat much at all. Eating out was a potluck at church and those were usually pretty wonderful. Everyone always brings their best to the church potluck and that was typical in the small churches that my dad served. Pies, casseroles, breads — I have fond memories of those. Eating out in a restaurant was reserved for only the very special days and those were rare.
We did travel a bit and camped in tents or a borrowed trailer and I have great memories of those experiences. I didn’t stay in a hotel until high school and that was obviously a luxury.
One last memory – birthdays were a big deal for us and my mom always went all out as I have shared before. We got to choose our meal and the luxury was to have jello with mandarin oranges in it. The best treat was when it had whipped cream on top of it. Yummy. I might need to buy some jello soon and recreate that memory.
I would love to hear from my readers what you thought was a luxury when you were younger. I am sure we have a lot of the same memories and would love to read what you come up with. Leave me a comment in the comment section and Comment for a Cause for Ukranian Red Cross.
15 Comments
Leave a commentThat is amazing, I never had a Barbie Doll either and prefered my teddy over dolls. For us a luxury was store bought cookies or cakes as mom made everything herself. One day Dad made some extra money selling his wheat so he bought us each a package of chocolate marshmallow puffs. Pure luxury! My brothers ate the whole package in a day, I ate one a day until they were gone.
Oh yes–store bought cookies for sure! I love the chocolate marshmallow puffs story. I probably would have been like you and had one a day till they were gone. What a fun memory. Thanks for sharing.
4 kids in my family too. Dad worked, mom stayed home and worked at taking care of all of us. We shared everything. One bike. One pair of clip on roller skates. We never had pop (or soda either. LOL) We never ate out. The first time I ate out was on a trip with the family in Chicago. That was the only time I remember us staying in a hotel, the rest of our adventures were always in a tent and then a pickup camper. Luxury? I don’t know, probably seeing the country on camping trips. I think our whole growing up lives were pretty special…and yes I remember the church potlucks too. YUMMY!
I love your memories! I think we had very similar childhoods and I know I consider myself very lucky! Thanks for sharing.
My OH is sitting by me, so I asked him about his childhood memories- our lives were the same as yours- simple and loving. For me, Vacations were Lakeside. Social life was mainly church- pot luck dinners were the best, the old church ladies could really cook back then. Potato chips were a luxury for me. Or an ice cream cone at The Patio.
Oh yes– ice cream cones! Ours were Dilly Bars that my Daddy would bring home every once in awhile. I am disappointed in the size of them now. I remember them being twice the size of what they are now but I might be wrong. I was a child, after all, and everything seemed bigger.
Such an interesting question – as you know part of my childhood was spend behind the iron curtain so we certainly didn’t have access to a lot of things – from those times I vividly remember the few times a year we had bananas and watermelon. To this day I marvel that I can eat either to my heart’s content and not have to worry about waiting another year to enjoy it.
I have certainly lived a privileged life and your comments certainly reinforce that. To know that something as simple to us as going to the store and getting a banana was something that you did not have access to just makes me realize all the more how much I have been given. Yes, given. I did not earn any of the wonderful things that I have enjoyed in life. My childhood was simple but rich and I am grateful for that. Thank you for your comment and for reminding me, once again, to not take a single thing for granted. Love you!
I have a panda bear, too, from my childhood. A luxury was getting a 5-cent ice cream cone from the Dari King (not Queen) or a mug of root beer from A & W or a bottle of pop when celebrating an extended family member’s birthday. Like you, I didn’t have “much” in the way of possessions, etc., but I had what I really needed, LOVE.
My childhood memories are much like yours, Beth Ann. Birthday parties, church potlucks, & etc. I would have to add our family renewals on my mom’s side. Lots of family, good food, music, playing.
Oh yes, your childhood sounded a lot like mine. We didn’t have luxuries but we had what we needed. Going out to eat was a big luxury as was a family vacation. We only had one when I was 8 or so and then not another one until I was in high school. Soda pop? Another thing we rarely had and it came in individual glass bottles when I was a kid – no cans then. I was always a bit envious of my neighborhood friends whose mom kept bottles of Pepsi in their old refrigerator in their garage. What a treat to have one on a hot summer’s day! And pizza — that was a special treat bought at a local pizza shop and reserved for a rare nighttime snack not a meal.
A cousin handed down two Barbies and THE VERY FIRST Ken doll…he would’ve been worth some money, but no one ever played with him much so Mother chose not to pack him the next time we moved. And the Barbies were played with too much to be worth any money!
Soda pop wasn’t a luxury but my parents didn’t buy it. “Aunt Dotty” used to bring some when she visited. I don’t remember what I thought was “the good kind,” at age three, but remember calling Coca-Cola “the bad kind.”
Being nomads, my parents lost or discarded a lot of things I’m sure other people called luxuries. We weren’t rich but had relatives (and Mother’s grateful clients) who were. I remember books treasured since 1860, silver and china, hand-carved wood furniture brought from England, a silk and gold sari, three boxes of “real” jewelry, all lost before I was ten. I’m afraid I didn’t recognize any of it as luxuries, just things I did or didn’t particularly like to play with. In one rented place where most of the valuables were never shipped, what I remember playing with and missing was one of the pebbles in the gravel back yard…kids!
What seemed like luxuries were the new things in the stores. I remember “liking” a school friend who was the first to get Magic Markers, and wanting a Crissy doll with pull-out hair. And the’rents would say, understandably, “With all the things you have to play with, how can you want more? You ought to want to sponsor an orphan.”
Don’t we all just have some interesting memories? Thanks for sharing yours!
Do you remember going to Bob’s “Big Boy?” They used to give a free (awesome) burger for every kid that could show an “A” on their report card. We got four free burgers, every time, as I remember…
I can’t remember where it was, but I recall eating out one time, and I asked if I could order a honey dew melon. I got the okay, and it is one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had. I also remember that ordering a “Sprite” to drink was the ultimate in high living…
I had forgotten about Big Boy! Paula and I were just talking about that honey dew! It was at the Automat. There is a movie coming out about that sometime this summer, I think. We made the most of our childhoods for sure. Glad you were a part of mine! ❤️