Peanut Brittle

Peace and love to you all.

Every year, I knew the holiday season (including Thanksgiving) was in full effect when I would smell peanut brittle being cooked upstairs. Every year, Dad would make batch after delicious batch of the hard, sweet candy and mail it off to family, making sure to keep the best parts for the four of us. It was a tradition and something he loved doing.

So, when he passed, one of the questions that came up was whether or not it would continue to be prepared and sent out. I offered to take on the mantle, having helped and learned how to do it from him last winter, and that was that. However, now that it's November and time to actually make the stuff, I was...apprehensive. How would I do? Would it be awful? Would it be even a little bit as good as Dad's?

Well, I made my first batch this afternoon. And it was perfect. Exactly the right amount of peanuts and brittle and sugar and everything. It was like Dad had made it instead of me. There were tears, I won't lie. It's...hard to put into words what continuing a tradition feels like. On one hand, you don't feel ready. On the other, you feel as if you have to be. It's tricky.

Right now, it's tough. I feel both closer to Dad and miss him that much more. I hope he would be proud at how I did. I like to think he is. 

I hope you eat something sweet today and think of those you love.