Branded

My family’s love for Chick-Fil-A goes deep and wide. 

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The first symbol my son recognized was for Chick-Fil-A.  He could “read” it at age 2.  And anytime he saw a cursive C he thought it stood for Chick-Fil-A.  At that same age, I showed him a symbol for the golden arches and he had no idea what it was. 

My daughter’s one year scrapbooks both have pages dedicated to their “first Chick-Fil-A” kids meal experience. 

It’s this deep love for Chick-Fil-A which prompts me to dress my crew like cows and herd them to the local Chick-Fil-A for cow appreciation day every year.  I don’t don cow costumes simply for my desire to get free food.  I do it because I love Chick-Fil-A.  I can tell you right now that if McDonald’s offered me a free meal for dressing like a farm animal, you would not find me showing up dressed head to toe as a cow or chicken or any other mammal. 

I save this public humiliation for one fast food franchise alone.

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dear, sweet Chick-Fil-A

…with it’s delicious real, not processed chicken sandwiches and nuggets, it’s sweet tea which is so delicious I would give up my Coke A Cola addiction for it, it’s table toppers so my kids don’t have to eat off messy tables, it’s second miles service with cashiers who will willingly take my tray to the table as I am busy juggling kids, and drinks, and food,  the hostesses who come to my table and refill our drinks, not to mention the indoor play areas, hand spun milkshakes, and Christian values.  Need I go on?  Shall I say more? 

This year we had our very close friends join us for the festivities.  We’d been looking forward to it for weeks.  When D day or shall we say Cow day arrived, they were in the midst of trying to buy a house. They actually invited us to take a look at the house before our dinner date.  While there they decided they did indeed want to put an offer out on the house.  But what about cow appreciation day?  Their realtor graciously offered to follow us to Chick-Fil-A for them to sign their papers.  He ate his dinner while our families enjoyed our dinner date.  Then they signed on the dotted line, cow costume and all, while we entertained the kiddos in the play area.  I can only imagine the conversation he had with his wife that night.  “Honey, you’ll never believe the clients I met with today.  No, no dinner for me dear.  I ate at work…the crazy couple were wearing cow costumes as they filled out the paper work.  Yes, that’s right I said cow costumes….”

Yeah, we’re branded all right…and we seem to share this obsession with our friends as well.

**Cow tipping takes on new meaning as my little calf/acrobat gets down on all fours and asks if I want some milk, after which she does a summersault on the playground floor.