Gold Bell Gift Stamps

When I was a kid in Detroit, the grocery stores gave away 'gift stamps' with every purchase. Wrigley's gave away gold bell gift stamps and A.&P. stores gave away S&H green stamps. Mom would bring the sometimes pages of stamps home and put them in little books. These little books were made to put the stamps on the empty pages - well, the pages were empty except for stamp-sized squares. The licking was not the fun part, either. Mom would let me help her put the stamps in the book. Ycch.
Mom saved those books up then would go through the redemption catalog and see what she could get with her stamps. I remember she would put huge rubber bands around stacks of her stamp books to keep them organized. Off we would go to the redemption center and she would trade her books for whatever she could. A couple of books for small items, lots of books for large items.
One day I came home from school and there, in my front room, was an adult-size pink bike. It was mine! Mom had saved her books up and bought me a bicycle.
My father didn't want me to have a bike in Detroit. He thought there was too much traffic and I would get injured. I had begged and begged for one. And there it was, thanks to my mom and gold bell gift stamps.
I can still remember my first ride on my pink bike. We wrestled the bike outside and I climbed on. I rode down the driveway to the sidewalk and turned left towards Mount Carmel Hospital. I remember the feeling of freedom. I still remember my hair being blown back by the wind. And I can still feel the smile on my face as I rode my pink bike around the block that very first time.
Thanks, Mom. Thanks for the patience to save up all those little books of Gold Bell Gift Stamps. And thank you for thinking of me.
I had the only pink bike in the neighborhood.
And I rode it everywhere.