It’s strange how a certain item from the past brings back a flood of memories. For me, the item was a Double Bubble gum wrapper. The wrapper brought back memories I shared with my late grandmother. One memory always stands out in my mind, for no particular reason. It’s always the simple things that are appreciated when they can no longer be given.

My memory begins as Granny and I are walking on the trail to her house. Granny lived at the top of the hill, and I lived at the bottom. In between our houses was a wooded area with a path. Granny walked down to get me because I was going to spend the afternoon with her. On the way to her house, we started playing a rhyming game. She said a word, and I had to think of as many words as possible that rhymed with it. This was one of my favorite games, and a lot of laughter came along with it. We stopped at a tree half way between our houses to let Granny rest. We continued along until we got to the swing in the backyard. Once we sat down, I started coughing, so Granny pulled out two pieces of Double Bubble and told me they would stop the coughing. I put the gum in my mouth, and folded up the wrapper into a little square, tasting the sweet flavor on my tongue.

Double Bubble was the magic healer in Granny’s world. Double Bubble was given in small doses to treat a cold, a cough, a stomach ache, a nose bleed, a head ache, or sore throat. Double Bubble was also given whenever you were having a bad day. It also helped ease nervousness or anxiousness. No matter what the problem, I knew I could always count on Granny to be there with a pocket full of Double Bubble and a smile. The day on the swing was a perfect example of how Double Bubble was used in my childhood. There have been many similar experiences, but that day always stands out in my memory. I found that wrapper I folded when my family was sorting through Granny’s things. I saw that wrapper and smiled. We were surrounded by valuable items, but in that moment, the wrapper was the only thing that mattered. No matter how old I get, Double Bubble still makes me feel better.