what is the criteria for rating your son-(or daughter)in-law?

I can think of many possible candidates.

• does he love and cherish my daughter
• does he show his love for her in so many ways
• does he provide for her in a manner that she is accustomed to
• does he treat his father in law with respect
• does he seek out and value advice from his father in law once in awhile

and I am sure that you can add some others.

but, let me tell you what my son-in-law did the other day which sets him apart in my eyes.

first of all, he observed that I love M&M’s, especially Peanut M&M’s. then he contacted a friend of his who works for the parent company MARS.  He arranged to have sent to me from the factory a packet of Peanut M&M’s.

well, actually the story is better than that.  he did not send me one packet.  he sent me 12 packets.

and, they were not any old packet. they were the sharing “family” size bags.  big and bountiful.

and, to top it off, they were not just any old Peanut M&M’s. no, they were  Dark Chocolate Peanut M&M’s. they have 49% cacao in the dark chocolate.  Uhmmmmmm….good!!!!!!

it turns out that that M&M’s candy is now available in several flavors — milk chocolate, peanut, dark chocolate, almond, peanut butter, pretzel and coconut, and dark chocolate peanut. wow!!!!!  this is my definition of diversity.

another great thing about M&M’s is their color, or, I should say, colors. they come in such beautiful and bright colors.  blue, yellow, red, green, brown, yellow and orange!   but now there are newer colors, like purple, pink, silver, gold, and even black and white.

M&M’s have been around for a while — 76 years to be exact.  but, Peanut M&M’s have only been around  17 years.  one of the interesting facts about the company that produces M&M’s is that it was originally started in Tacoma, Washington.  in addition it was then and still is a family owned business.  in fact, it is the 6th largest family owned business in the United States. it has operations in 78 countries in the world.

what about nutrition, you might ask.

chocolate actually offers a number of health benefits.  according to Candy Concepts, it is because this treat is plant-based. it is filled with  flavonoids, which are known for their antioxidants. With the ability to help the cells of the body resist damage from free radicals, antioxidants are quite beneficial. These flavonoids are what give chocolate its powerful, tasty flavor.

there are approximately 10 calories in each Peanut M&M. so, 20 pieces will have 206 calories, with 12 grams of fat and 25 grams of carbs.   these percentages represent 18% and 8% respectively of your daily allocation assuming a 2,000 calorie diet.   there are even 4 grams of protein in every 20 Peanut M&M’s.   so, I am not a nutritionist, but it seems to me that 20 Peanut M&M’s is not that bad for you.   however, the challenge for me, and I am assuming some others, is limiting your intake to 20 a day.

let me ask you this. how many people that you know who eat Peanut M&M’s count the number they eat each day?  this is the problem.   who counts their Peanut M&M’s as they are eating them?

in any case, I hope you can agree with me on the selection criteria I use to determine how great my son-in-law is!  below is a picture of Brian with my daughter Kelsey at their wedding almost two years ago.