The tradition started in September 1975 as I stopped to get donuts at a shop on Union Avenue. Instead, I bought a glass pumpkin-shaped jar filled with donut holes for our son, Buddy at Methodist Hospital. He had been badly burned---2nd & 3rd degree burns over 18% of his body from a cracked pyrex coffee pot as he collided with a waitress at Buntyn's Restaurant on Southern Ave. It was her first day on the job. Our regular waitresses, Louise and Mary saw it happen and they probably cried more than we did. No ambulance was available so we drove him to the hospital with our gas gauge on E. We made it. That was our first miracle. We were so naive we asked the ER doc if he would have to spend the night.
After the first week in the hospital we were all ready for a treat. The donuts were the first of many goodies that traveled to the hospital in that pumpkin jar. Once Buddy could leave his isolation to go for cleansing in a PT room, His "tub" was across from Larry Csonka's who winced when he saw Buddy. Csonka was playing for the Memphis Southmen in the WFL & was a big encouragement to our son, commending him for being so brave!
After a couple of weeks we were able to go home. Needless to say, our pumpkin jar rode in the seat beside him. Buddy continued out-patient treatment with LOTS of Silvadene creme (silver sulfadiazine) for healing of burn scars for several more weeks.
But.....our pumpkin jar stayed out until Thanksgiving and has been put out at the same time every year since the accident..... Sept. '75 started with one child & one pumpkin. Eventually the one pumpkin served our 3 kids + 3 in-laws and 9 grandchildren.
It's been a fun way to keep up with folks who remember the inaugural pumpkin year, especially those with an affinity for candy corn. Even those whose paths we crossed later (Abe) have a way of appearing and leaving with a handful. We usually hear them before we see them. The clanking of the glass lid being removed is our first clue. From the Huff kids and David and Josh F. to Amy G.----who now would not let a single candy corn cross her lips..... to our youngest grandson.
It might not be healthy but its a "sound" of tradition that always makes me smile.
It reminds me of God's goodness at a time when every tender mercy was a treasure. (Psalm 145:9)
