As a child I loved (and I still love) lollipops. There was something exciting about holding one in my hand and checking every now and then to see how much more I had until it was done. You could not do that with a regular piece of candy! Too Gross!
The only poem that I wrote when a teenager that I can still remember by heart is the one I wrote about lollipops:
Lovely little lollipops
Sitting silently, staring.
Sending Sweet Signals
To Teeny Tiny Tummies
My original poem, which was published in my high school newspaper’s literary section, said “Sending Sexy Signals.” But over time I think I realized that lollipops are not sexy at all, but they are extremely sweet.
By the time I was a teen, I became obsessed with Tootsie Roll lollipops. Well not all of them, just Red Raspberry. YUM. The exciting part was opening the wrapper to see if I had the shooting Star. If you had the shooting Star on your wrapper you had good luck and fortune.
There are pages and pages on the internet related to the Tootsie Roll lollipop shooting star. Some people believed that if you found the star you got another lollipop for free. I NEVER believed that. However, I absolutely do believe that getting the Star was special.
When I was a mother with young children, I carried several red raspberry Tootsie Roll wrappers with Shooting Stars in my wallet for years, okay I’ll be honest, for DECADES. For some reason my type of magical thinking told me that the Shooting Stars on a Tootsie Roll wrapper would help protect my two children. Intellectually, I knew this was not true, but my heart said, “It can’t hurt!”
But over time, the wrappers disintegrated, and my body aged, making eating lollipops not part of my diet. Although occasionally, if I see them at an office or a store counter for children, I do ask if I can have one as well. My love of lollipops is always with me, even if I cannot eat them.
In July of 2025, when flying to Iceland with a layover at the Minneapolis Airport, my Lollipop love got a sparkle of joy. At the airport, near my gate, there was display of ceramic tiles by a local artist. One of the tiles caught my eye immediately: a lollipop forest. I immediately took a photo of the display. The joy in the art reminded me of the joy I had as a child enjoying a lollipop.
We boarded our flight; we went on our vacation; then to be with our daughter and her husband as they were having a baby. The month went by quickly. We flew home. Life intervened. When I thought about the Lollipop Forest, it was at odd moments. But I thought it was just going to be a nice memory.
This year around Mother’s Day, when I was asked what I wanted, I had no idea. But I was strolling through all my photos. My ICloud account was filling rapidly. Photos were overwhelming my account. I really had to delete photos and videos I didn’t need. While scrolling, I saw the picture of that lovely lollipop forest. Wow! That would be a great Mother’s Day gift!!!
Luckily, I took a photo that included information about the artist. I found the artist online, and to my delight, “White Birds Flying over the Lollipop Forest” was still available for purchase. I still get a smile on my face when I think about how happy that made me!
My Mother’s Day gift arrived a bit late, but it’s absolutely lovely. It is hanging where I can see it from my chair as I crochet. When I look at the Lollipop Forest, remember my poem, my Tootsie Roll Stars, my love of lollipops and just enjoy this sweet line of lollipops.
Lollipops just give me joy!
I am not advertising that you buy anything from this site. But this site provides a good history of the Tootsie Roll Shooting Star myth: https://www.candyfavorites.com/pages/unwrapping-the-tootsie-pop-wrapper?srsltid=AfmBOoov4srdr2hmXjDoyjXD5i5eAdN53bih-L0lT-i0BW4T12hTz3aB
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