One of my first memories consists of Nestle's Bear Brand powdered milk. I don't know when I started drinking it, but it is the only milk brand that came to mind when I think about my early childhood. I remember how my dad would mix Bear Brand milk for me every night before I went to bed, and sometimes if I couldn't sleep, he would warm the milk up for me. I remember that sometimes my mom would add honey into the milk for a special treat. I remember walking down the grocery aisle with my parents and grabbing the honey-flavored Bear Brand milk in the biggest cylinder tin-package. I remember trying to open the tin lid by myself but it would be too hard for me, and my dad would come to the rescue. I remember talking to my friend about wanting Bear Brand milk when I have already outgrew it and moved onto pasteurized Japanese Meiji milk. I realize that what I actually remember are the people in my life and how we used the brand. It's the people and the context in which the brand interacted with my life that makes my memories so meaningful.

When people give brands context and meaning, they become more than just objects and services; they become symbolic tools to aid us in our lives. They help fill some of our fundamental needs, whether for connection or peace of mind and in bringing our values and ideals to life. Bear Brand would not signify love and care to me if I didn't feel the comforting act of my dad mixing powdered milk for me every night, and if my parents didn't go grocery shopping together for the milk, it probably wouldn't also mean 'family'. It's the context in which Bear Brand existed in my life that gives it more meaning. Bear Brand, in turn, makes my life more meaningful.