For the love of BACON!

        

It was a crazy, hectic week for me as I completed one more conference this year and the final one I had to be onsite at this spring…and BJ “popped” up daily! There is this one guy at this particular conference that I think loves bacon as much as BJ did! In fact, on his registration where the attendees can list dietary restrictions, he selected “other” and wrote in “bacon for every meal please”. And, even though I know he was just kidding I could have seen BJ doing that same thing. There was bacon for breakfast, bacon in the potato salad, and bacon on the Brussel Sprouts. Although I fully realize BJ would not have liked any “green stuff” (his reference to “veggies”) with his bacon, he likely would have picked some out to enjoy!

I was driving back this morning from taking Dillon to school while reminiscing these thoughts, which lead me to the remembrance of the “bacon themed appetizers” we honored him with at his Celebration of Life and how he would have thought that was “his” perfect celebration…bacon in the cookies, bacon wrapped jalapenos, and bacon deviled eggs (to name a few).  Thinking of his love of bacon this morning, I couldn’t help but recall the stories he would share with me. Because his wife didn’t like bacon, she also could not stand the smell of bacon, so BJ had an old pan and when he wanted bacon he had to cook it outside on the BBQ grill. He also shared stories of cooking it inside when she was gone on a trip, but planned it out so the smell would be gone by the time she arrived back home. When they were coming to the valley, the stayed at my house; so the few years Bryan and I shared a home I was blessed to have my whole family under one roof. We celebrated many holidays together and enjoyed many weekend visits. When we knew they were coming to town to stay, Bryan would be off to the store to buy a couple pounds of bacon so that he could enjoy bacon with his big brother and because he knew a pound was needed just for BJ! I knew Carrie finally caught on to Bryan’s shenanigans when she texted ahead of time to ask if I could have some turkey bacon for her.  J

Or my other favorite bacon story...He ordered a bacon cheeseburger from McDonald's (I think) and said "no veggies." The waitress then asked, "so, do you want the bacon?" BJ was like...when did a pig become a vegetable?  I think he was in disbelief that someone would ask that! LOL

These are the memories that have filled my heart and bacon is just one little trigger that reminds me hugely of my son. Never underestimate someone’s presence in your life or what their little triggers might be in your heart or what triggers you are leaving in theirs.