The other day was a painful one. Well, all are, but some are worse than others, as I miss my son Tommy, who passed away from an Angelman Syndrome related seizure in 2009 at age 5. "Porky" as he was called, due to his rather linebacker like stature, walked tall his last week of life. So many are proud of him, and while he never spoke a word, his legacy lives on. Even with the loss of a child, I am still a very happy man, and feel blessed to have a wife that I love, a family that is dear, and many good friends along this journey. Some of them I have yet to meet, but look forward to that day, when we can sit down for that beer and perhaps a cigar.
A posting on the Angelman Syndrome Foundation's facebook board (ASF that is at http://www.angelman.org/ got me thinking. In fact, it not only did that, but it provided a smile and a laugh, of which Tommy was known for. Another angel mom, who I briefly had the chance to meet at an Angelman Walkathon in Columbia, MD, had a discussion going about what kinds of foods "angels" as children and people with Angelman Syndrome are called. This was an excellent topic, and an important one, as its good to share strategies, and find out what kind of foods might help with chewing difficulties or nutritional values. Yet this post also caused that grin, because it brought back a very happy memory. This angel mom touched a person from something that was helpful, but went much further than that.
I thought instantly, "Jello." As a kid, Bill Cosby was always on the television, selling what was one of my favorite foods. That was a good memory, but what really got the teeth to show, and the lips to curl into such a huge smile, was that I used to make Jello for Porky on a regular basis. All of us have different gifts, and weaknesses. One of the latter ones I suffer from is cooking. Yes, I've almost blown up a Charbroil Grill that scared the heck out of contractors working on my house, there have been uneven cakes, and I'm amazed the fire department hasn't been dispatched while cooking taco's in the kitchen. However, I was able to make Jello, and Tommy just loved it. He would eat it with a gusto of spirit, and his favorite one was the orange. Sure, I tried the other ones such as cherry and grape, but the orange one was certainly his Jello of choice.
Walking in the kitchen, I laughed thinking about those times making this gelatin substance. In a way Jello is like that fruitcake that makes the rounds, it certainly is an odd food. Yet I thought about this even further, such as the grocery trips just to get orange jello, and the joy of making this for Tommy. His eyes would brighten up when he saw this, and he just ate this food that I'm not sure is on the USDA pyramid, with such love. I think I'm going to make some Jello later this week, in honor of Porky. Its been almost two years since he departed this Earth, and he's missed everyday. Yet this memory, provided a lot of hope, and a lifting up of spirits. Its these small things in life, that we must cling on to, even in times of despair that can make all of the difference. Something as simple as Jello. Life is an interesting adventure.
The little memories are the most important. They are the ones that say, I was here. I was someone you knew well enough to know orange is my favorite jello! Big hugs to you! Catie loves jello too, all flavors. I personally like orange too. My favorite is due to a memory of my mother mixing orange jello cottage cheese, and madarin oranges together and then she and I devouring the whole thing. She is in heaven too, for 17 yrs now.
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