Boone: Dairy Queen is opening in Monroe and all is well in the world
Ice cream, specifically DQ (Dairy Queen), is my love language. If I am happy, I get ice cream. If I am sad, I get ice cream. To be completely honest, I get DQ every time I am near one. Whenever I visit a city or state I always Google to see if they have a DQ. Those two red letters just draw me in. So, let me tell you why DQ is such a special place to me.
I lived in the inner city of Detroit until I was in the 5th grade. My neighborhood was a busy place where something was always happening. There was a grocery store and a BBQ joint right at the end of my block. The BBQ joint had an ice cream shop inside. There was also a drug store, barber shop, hardware store, arcade, and penny candy shop on the next street. Kids were always outside ready to play and ready to get in trouble. My brother, sister and I knew everybody; it was like paradise. For my mother, who was a single mother, it was a nightmare. Our house was broken into about seven times. There were gangs and lots of drugs, but none of that bothered me because I didn’t know any better. My mother took a job as a Detroit Police Officer, and her first line of business was moving us to a better neighborhood.
I was completely lost when we moved. There were no stores around; the neighborhood was very quiet. The kids on my new block were always busy. They never came out to play. My brother and sister were in high school, so they didn’t have time for me. My mom worked a lot. I became a lonely and angry kid until I finally met a friend. She lived directly across the street from me, and she was so cool. She knew the neighborhood. I can still remember the day she took me on an adventure. We walked for what seemed like an hour, and we ended up at the DQ. The ice cream tasted just like the BBQ place in my old neighborhood, only better. It was like I was home again. Somehow this place made me forget all my troubles, making my life feel normal. That girl, who is still my best friend, and I probably made that same walk 100 or more times.
Some people like Disney World, but for me, DQ is my happy place. One spoonful of that soft serve reminds me that everything will be okay. My children always questioned how I never had McDonald's money, but my DQ fund never ran low. Even now, my husband knows the way to get on my good side is to bring DQ home. When people don’t know what to get me, they get me a DQ gift card.
This weekend a DQ is opening up in Monroe. I am convinced that God is putting it here as a reminder that He hasn’t forgotten me. Scripture says if you delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart (and belly). Over the last two years, we have all dealt with a lot of storms. The good news is, I see rainbow sprinkles in our future.
Heather Boone is pastor of Oaks of Righteousness Christian Ministries and Oaks Village in Monroe. Reach her at oaksofrighteousness@aol.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Boone: Dairy Queen is opening in Monroe and all is well in the world
