Monday, August 29, 2022

Good Humor Ice Cream : An Angel Message

 Maybe you remember the Good Humor Ice Cream truck from childhood?  I recall the happy jingle of sleigh bells on our tar paved street. Barefooted, with a winged Mercury dime in my sweaty little hand, my feet flew through patches of white clover and soft yellow dandelions tufts.  Racing my brothers across the lawn, the Good Humor man waited in his crisp white uniform. The coin changer on his belt a sign he was ready for business.  

 Popsicles were my favorite.  Grape.  He popped open the freezer.  A frosty breath of winter chilled the hot summer day as he reached inside and gave me a double grape Popsicle wrapped in polka-dotted paper.

It was worth the wait. 

It didn't take long before my lips and chin turned purple, stained from the refreshing drips of sugary grape ice.

It's funny how special sounds and images of the past may resuscitate old memories.  

A thrill of childhood came to mind several weeks ago when I learned that Happy Howie's Homemade Ice Cream truck visits our neighborhood every other Sunday.  The large white van plays a merry musical tune--my mother's childhood favorite.  "Playmate come out and play with me."  

Over and over the song plays as the ice cream truck slowly drives up and down the many streets serving scoopfuls of joy to the community.  I fondly think of mom and her love for ice cream.

I'll admit several weeks ago, I got hooked on the chocolate scoop. The chocolate was not too sweet, and not to rich.  It was perfect, like a soft fudge-cicle.  

"Freeze your teeth! And give your tongue a sleigh ride!" was the catchy selling pitch my father-in-law created in his teens.  He was selling ice cream on the boardwalk in New York to help support his family.

Yesterday was ice cream day! 

My focus was like background music, straining to hear... 

Is Happy Howie's here?  Will it come?  

I realized I'd become like Pavlov's dog listening for the bell.  In that moment, an angel thought made me sheepishly laugh.  "Do you listen for inner guidance as vigilantly as you listen for the ice cream truck?"

It was an aha moment. I realized the difference. I'd been caught--red-faced. It was true.  My intense desire for ice cream occupied my thoughts, watching and waiting in joyful anticipation.  I expected it to show up.  My ego emotions were charged to receive.  Yet angel thoughts had to work harder to get my attention and keep it.  My vigilance was tepid at times, lacking joyful anticipation.

I was grateful for the contrasting lesson.  I needed to come up higher in my desire to listen to the angels. To expect the angels to show up and deliver the goodness of God throughout the day.

And, something amusing happened with that amazing thought.  

I caught wind of the merry tune. Playmate come out and play with me. BING! The ice cream truck was across the lane, several streets over. 

The timing was humorous, as only the angels can do. But, I wasn't in such a hurry this time...I waited...and listened...

May our feet be winged like the messenger Mercury, as we run to answer the call of our angels. Thank goodness for the patience of our angels and for their sense of humor.   

Love and peace,


Rae Karen