THE LADY AT KRESGEES

I remember being six years old and going with my Mother on a shopping trip. Shopping with my Mom was one of the most enjoyable experiences that I could ever have. She seemed to know every woman who worked in every toy department in every store in Oshawa. I always scored the neatest playthings.

There was always a sense of excitement on a shopping day. My Mother would always begin with a trip through the women’s stores. I was always kissed, hugged, and tickled by the salesgirls. I attribute this to my appreciation and love of women as I grew. I was never alone while my Mom tried on a multitude of different outfits.

After my Mother finished buying new clothes we stopped for a drink at the Kresgee’s counter. Kresgees was a department store, and they had a built-in restaurant with a long counter. The woman behind the counter was always very friendly and always gave me a paper triangle cup in an aluminum holder filled with grape soda and ice.

After our little break, it was off to the children’s clothing stores, and finally, as a reward, my Mom took me into the Laura Secord’s Chocolate Shop and bought something delicious for us to munch on in the car on the way home.

What happened when I was a young child helped form who I became as an adult. I had an idyllic life thanks to loving, caring parents. They instilled a love of life in me that…