Advent Angels Part II

As I have wondered about the waiting of Advent, I have discovered that perhaps we are waiting for encounters with the Holy. Yesterday I had such an encounter...in a Moravian sugar cookie store.

Moravian cookies and cakes are very popular up here in North Carolina, so when I learned there was a Dewey's store nearby, I knew I needed to go. Dewey's is a bakery that has been making Moravian cookies and cakes since 1930. Originating in Winston Salem, they now have holiday stores operated by non profits around the state, and I discovered an Advent Angel at one yesterday.

Debbie greeted me as I walked in the popup store she manages at the far end of the Outlet Mall. In what used to be the Ralph Lauren store, there was a beautiful array of Dewey's baked goods and other holiday treats. At the entrance to the store, I saw a banner that said SmileOn ADG, and I wondered what that meant. (But my mind quickly moved on the the cookies!) I knew I wanted the original Moravian cookies, said to be the thinnest cookie in the world, as well as some of the absolutely divine Moravian sugar cake. Debbie explained that if I wanted shipping I could go to the website and 25% of what I bought would go to their charity, but if I bought in the store 35% would go to it. So I had to ask...What is your charity?

And so Debbie told me her story. ADG were her son Adam's initials. The non profit raises money for music education, instrument grantmaking and other local organizations that Adam was involved in. You see, Adam died suddenly of viral meningitis several years ago, and the Dewey's partnership with SmileOn ADG is how the family funds the non-profit. Debbie told me her story, how debilitating the grief had been for her family, and yet what great comfort working on this non-profit together has brought them. I wish I could remember her words, but in essence she said doing the work keeps Adam alive in our hearts in a beautiful way...thus the title SmileOn ADG.

So if you are up in the mountains and you want to see an Advent Angel, go to the Dewey's popup store and meet Debbie, and of course buy some Moravian delicacies, (Debbie says the Ginger Spice are the originals!). You can also go to the Dewey's website and buy online using the code DEWPART53 and 25% of your purchase will be donated to SmileOnADG.

The Christ Light shines brightly in that little popup!