Isn't it funny how God will use one circumstance in your life to prepare you for another. I never in a million years thought that the time I stuck the blue bead up my nose would somehow prepare me for an experience 31 years later.
As Sophia would begin,....Picture it. Small town, yellow house, 1978, a young girl and her big sister....There I was in my sister's room, about 5 years old, going through her sewing basket. She had the neatest sewing basket with all kinds of little scraps of fabric, colored thread and tiny beads. She was very creative. She made most of our Barbie clothes and furniture just by using household items. I'll never forget that. I'll also never forget this particular day. So, I was going through her sewing basket and I found a tee-tiny blue bead. I decided to be funny. I stuck the bead right at my nostril and called for my sister to look. She did. She laughed. I laughed. I sucked the bead (accidentally) up my nose. Far. I panicked. My sister's eyes were as big as saucers looking at me. She was quick thinking though and told me to put one finger on the other nostril to close it and blow really hard. I did. Hard. That blue bead shot right out of my nose and hit the opposite wall of her bedroom. I'm not sure what we did after that..laugh or cry. Can't remember that part, but I'll never forget shooting that blue bead out of my nose that day.
How did this prepare me for later?...Picture it. Small town, white house, mom and her 2 year old son eating lunch. I gave J some chicken salad, tomatoes, and grapes for lunch yesterday. (Isn't this weird that he likes food like this?) I stuck him in his chair to eat and I went back to work on the computer to finish my last file for the day. All of a sudden, I hear a cry from J. An "I'm hurt" cry. I run into the room and his little eyes are watering. I see chicken salad coming from his nose. "Oh no he didn't," I thought. I got a paper towel, held the opposite nostril and said, "Blow J". He did. I retrieved a little chicken. "Blow again J. Hard." He did, and when he did a big piece of celery descended down his passage to his nostril. "Oh no he didn't," I thought again. In fear that he would get upset, cry and suck it back up again, I quickly told him to "Blow" again. This time I was able to get my fingernails and grasp the piece of celery and wedge it out of his nostril.
Whew! No trips to the ER to retrieve celery from the nose!
Not exactly the same story because the celery didn't shoot across the room like my blue bead did, but it did help me to remain calm and know what to do. (I'm sure any moron could have figured out what to do as well, but it makes for a story)
There are so many stories I could tell about J. Every single day, many times a day, this little curious boy does something crazy. I am not prepared for most of them that's for sure, but I can say that life is always exciting (sometimes frustrating) with this little guy around! It's an adventure every day.
