From the moment we are born to the day we die, food plays an important role in everyday life. Food not only nourishes our bodies, but it also helps create lifelong memories. In fact, many of my childhood memories are associated with food in some way. I swear I was at my grandma, Edna Wakefields’ house every weekend. Almost every time I went over to her house, I got a few snacks that I really enjoyed. Nearly every time I was over, grandma would make me a bologna and mayo sandwich for lunch, along with strawberries with whipped cream. I know it sounds weird, but that combo is surprisingly good.

At Ruth Bentley’s, my old babysitter’s house, however, things were a bit different. It was there that I met some of my really good friends Tyson Bentley, her grandson, as well as Isabella Fredrick and later her siblings, Macy and Randall Fredrick. At her house was where I really learned my appreciation of food.

Honestly, Ruthie’s house was one of the most fun places growing up. Even though she did make me eat many foods I disliked, such as green beans and pears. Even when I told her I disliked pears, she had me eat them anyways, resulting in me losing my breakfast.

Her house during the summer is where I also gained my love of slightly melted popsicles, which was a staple when the older kids and I got to run around outside in the middle of 100-degree weather. Then sometimes we got vanilla and strawberry wafer sandwiches before we had to go home at the end of the day.

I always found time at Ruthie’s house to be amazing and now whenever I see any of these snacks, the number of memories that come flooding back is crazy. Food has just played a massive part of my childhood and is something that I’ve been missing since I’ve been too old to go to Ruthie’s house.

Finally, we have my parents. They are two of the greatest people ever, with one of the pickiest kids. When I was younger, I blatantly refused to try anything new, from recipes to new restaurants, I hated it all. However, as I got older, my family began to travel, and with a lot of new places came a lot of new food and suddenly, the younger me wanted to try it all.

A story that my dad, Jason Wakefield, loves to tell is the story of my first time having sushi. I was maybe five to six years old at the time when he gave me my first little piece of octopus. I chewed a few times, swallowed, and proceeded to ask him if I could have some more ham. Apparently, the younger me thought that since what I was given tasted like ham, that was what it must have been.

A great aunt of mine, Anne Baker, lives in Missouri and once every year we all meet halfway for a sort of “family reunion” in Nebraska City. More specifically, at the Lied Lodge where there are multiple activities that I love to do such as apple picking, a somewhat yearly tradition. I’ve never met a fruit (besides pears) that I didn’t enjoy and through multiple trips to Nebraska City, I have found that I really like apples.

All in all, through food, lifelong memories can be created. Whether it’s a good meal with family and friends or a simple childhood snack, food can make memories that will last a lifetime.