Questions That Make Us Go “Huh?” — Yoo-hoo or Chocolate Milk?

Sometimes the questions that make us stop and think aren’t the big questions. They’re the silly little ones that somehow turn into a family conversation. Today’s question is one of those. Yoo-hoo or chocolate milk? Which one would you choose and why? Or do you have Yahoo where you live?

I’m sure I’ve had Yoo-hoo before. I probably drank it when I was a child, but honestly, I don’t remember it well enough to tell you whether I liked it. Charlie does. In fact, I’m pretty sure Charlie likes Yoo-hoo more than chocolate milk. And because he’s my son, I know exactly how to make him smile.

Every time I go to the dollar store and see those little glass bottles of Yoo-hoo, I’ll pick one up and bring it home for him. It’s such a little thing. But when I walk through the door with one, it makes him happy. More times than not it gets Charlie to stop and sit and talk to me for a few minutes making this drink a Godsend.

And sometimes those little things are what matter most when you’re trying to get a teenager to talk to you. You don’t always need some big plan or an elaborate conversation starter. Sometimes you just need to remember the little things they love. For Charlie, apparently, one of those things is a little bottle of Yoo-hoo.

David is a little harder to choose for. He likes both Yoo-hoo and chocolate milk, but if I made him pick one, I think he’d choose chocolate milk. And that brings me back to my childhood. When I was growing up, my dad would buy a quart of chocolate milk for our family to share. Sometimes we’d make sandwiches, pack everything up, and head to the park.

Those are the kinds of memories that stick with you. And here’s the funny part. My dad would buy low-fat chocolate milk. You might think that wouldn’t be nearly as good as regular chocolate milk, but my dad and I actually preferred it. Maybe it was because that’s what we grew up drinking. Maybe it was because it was the chocolate milk we shared at the park. Or maybe we really did just like the taste better.

Either way, when I think about chocolate milk, I don’t just think about a drink. I think about my dad. I think about sandwiches packed for the park. I think about being a kid and sharing that quart of chocolate milk with my family. And now, years later, I’m buying little bottles of Yoo-hoo for Charlie because I know it makes him happy.

Funny how those little family traditions change, but the idea stays the same. Sometimes it’s not about the drink. It’s about who you’re sharing it with. It’s about remembering what somebody likes. It’s about bringing something home just because you know it will make someone smile. So now it’s your turn.

Yoo-hoo or chocolate milk? And don’t just tell me which one you choose. Why? Is it because you genuinely like the taste better, because it’s something you remember from childhood, or because somebody you love always brought it home for you? Because around here, apparently even a simple chocolate drink can come with a pretty good family story.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates