It's Just Jello

If you have been reading my blog for awhile...you know I love nothing better than a good quote.  I love them...I hoard them...and I just wait for the perfect time to share them.

"It's Just Jello"

Without a doubt this is my favorite quote of all time and it has served me well for some sixteen years.  It came from a most unexpected source...my seven year old daughter.

Words spoken so quietly amid the usual bedlam of a typical school morning...well maybe not completely typical...Steve was out of town and it was Halloween...which meant it was party day at school. Heavy sigh....

So with my three year old hanging on my leg begging for my attention I packed lunches, costumes, double checked backpacks and started to load everyone in the van.  The very last item on my to do list was releasing tiny little bats and ghosts from their little jello molds.

Simple right?  Nope, not for yours truly!  The delicate art of turning brightly colored liquid gelatin into cute little shapes that jiggle so delightfully has always eluded me...and this day was no different.

Jello Jigglers...the bane of my existence...had defeated me once again.

The jigglers, so carefully made the night before, sat in the warm water just a smidge too long and I watched in horror as the semi liquified gelatinous goo slipped hopelessly into the sink...along with all my hopes and dreams of presenting perfectly shaped blobs of pure sugar and artificial coloring to a group of 2nd graders.

And I started to cry.  Yup, that day it was the darn little jigglers that pushed me over the edge.

My daughter Stevi, my little girl, wise beyond her years looked at the tears rolling down my cheeks...putting her arms around my waist she said so calmly and rationally, " It's okay mommy...it's just jello."

She was obviously talking about the unidentifiable blobs that were now laying there...mocking me as they left their indelible black and orange stains on my white sink.

But what I heard in that one simple sentence was something so much more.

My wise little girl reminded me that many of the moments in our day...moments of frustration...moments of disappointment...moments of annoyance...are just like the jello that was quickly disappearing down the drain. The jello moments are nothing more than inconsequential slivers of time that are not life altering or life shattering and are not worth the anguish and distress we allow them to cause us.

As the parents of a child with special needs we have had to face many life altering moments...the kind that take our breath away...and without a doubt we can be sure that there will be many, many more, but that day my little girl reminded me how important it is to distinguish between the two.

For the past two weeks we have had both girls home...all five of us together just like we used to be...and the way I like it best.  Having them here reminds me once again how blessed Scotty has been to have these two girls in his life. Two sisters who have kept us from living a very small life...a very isolating life.  They have filled our lives with normal.  They have been Scotty's best teachers and his firmest connection to the world outside our home. They understand him.  They accept him.  They love him. And someday they will be all he has left in this world. He is a very lucky little guy.

 So for a few short weeks our house has been filled with dirty dishes EVERYWHERE, wet pool towels on the floor, magazines, books, purses, empty soda cans, computers, bras (yup) and shoes...lots of shoes laying all over the house.

It's the price we gladly pay to have these sweet and funny girls who make us laugh until we cry along with their wonderful girl smells under our roof again.  Girls who remind us every day to laugh at the "Just Jello" moments and reserve our energy for the really important moments...the moments that take our breath away.

  Children are a gift from the Lord.
      They are a reward from him. 

Psalm 127:3

Note**  In the last week I have been so blessed to have made many new friends...friends who are living the same life we are.  A life with an angel.  A life filled with many blessings and many challenges.  A life lived moment by moment...day by day.  A life much different from the rest of the world.  In future posts I hope that I will be able to share some of their stories.  I know it will enrich and give more depth to this blog beyond the words I am able to put together.  So welcome to all my new friends, I am so glad you are here.

I also thought I would highlight some past blogs. 

 Keeping with the theme this week I chose

 Moments of Impact...about those moments that take our breath away.  

If you would like to read it CLICK HERE.

Thanks for reading and feel free to share.