Coupon Clipper

Family History

October 28, 2005

Joel Akin

It was said at one time that man lived by bread alone. Such was the word of a mother I think. Okay, so the scripture tells us man doesn't live BY bread alone. Only going to say that if we want to live we need more then bread. Well that brings me to a stage in my life where I watch the wisdom of my mother. Most of us have moms, or so it was stated. We started out with a mom and end life wondering how she got so wise. Having a mom is like staring at the stars for hours and hours. You get drained wondering above such wonders how God could make someone as beautiful and lovely as ma. How did He do it? How could he ascertain ahead of time that there would be mothers and how could he say "They will be wise?"

 Now I realize there might be one or two bad apples out there. Even Eve understood that point. Or did she? I guess she is probably one of those who never knew what it was like to have a mom. So she gets brownie excuses or whatever else you might come up with. I do feel for her on that point.

Now my mom is a coupon clipper. I can't tell you all her secrets of coupons but I truly do admire her in this stage of her life. Its called The ship that sailed the Co-op, Safeway, IGA and Grocery sea aisles. Now all of us have longed to travel to some exotic aisle where palm pudding waves and sandy shrimp sail amidst crystal blue aspertame drinks. I know I've dreamed of such things all my life. Of course on these type of cruises it always helps to have your passport to savings, as some call it, and a coupon book filled with treasures of savings also. I do think there are some mysteries in life I shall never plum the depths of. That might include searching life out for the Pirate known as the Coupon Clipper.

There is a tale of the coupon clipper that yogurt was on special. Now this is not the first time the guns have fired from this ship. Why not that long ago with coupons blazing she had searched out and located the main sales of a cereal ship called Quaker Life. Quakers did have Life and they lowered their jibs and keeled their hauls home with piles of booty for only .49 cents a box. Frankly I was amazed and gasped with joy for after all few will ever cart home boxes of such wonder at such a beautiful price.

In this latest caper mom had spied a Sobey's aisle special. She had searched and searched for Yogurt Aisle and had ascertained it was loaded for berry. Buying a box she had paraded it home and there discovered the secret which I must share with you now. That once you had paid the price for the coupons then the following yogurts were not only 'free' but now the Clippee had won the astounding favors of Sobee's by having them pay her to haul away this newly one treasure. It was free and let me tell you there are few aisles in the world where you can find such beautiful sales. I do know if my mother were allowed to escape with this news she could do it again and again and again until our coolers be loaded with strawberry shortcakes and berry delights. It is a pleasure to open them and find them filled with delicious noctions of such prides of the aisles. Few be it will ever know the joy she gets going from checkout to checkout to checkout obtaining their favors and their coins and waltzing away with piles of bounteous yogurts for the family to delight in.

If I could I would point out a scripture with the word Frugal. I do think that it would fit my wise mom. She is a fountain and a spring of life and a joy to us. And I am thankful for her sweetness in showing me there are many sales on the horizon but only one Clipper ship like the one my mom captains. She is a wise captain of sales for sure and I know that soon she will be sailing down another aisle searching for treasures buried. For which alone God doth know but which our family shares in the things yet to come.