"On Fun In a Box"

 
The week before Easter two of my children were given notice they had lost their jobs.  In fact, they found out within three days of one another.  The clothing company my daughter worked for declared bankruptcy, pulling the rug out from underneath her.  The bank where my son had worked over 20 years consolidated two areas, and he found he was odd man out.  When the family got together on Easter Sunday there was no pall cast upon us, but there was talk of unemployment and its ramifications, the uncertainty of the future.  It is hard to ignore such a drastic change in the lives of family members nor did we want to.

Easter Sunday was a glorious, sunny day, one that is not a guarantee at this time of the year in the Pacific Northwest.  The family was gathered outside on the patio, my son-in-law tending the meat on the grill, the cousins running back and forth playing.  Another of my daughters brought out a little box of jelly beans.  The description on it was Bean Boozled, but I call it "Fun In a Box," because it was--such fun that is.

In appearance these looked like ordinary jelly beans; in fact they were anything but ordinary.  The box had a mix of regular, tasty candies and absolutely gross, disgusting flavors.  Choosing one was a Russian roulette of sorts.  Each color was identified on the back of the box as an either/or, but there was no way of knowing which was which.

It was "game on."  Three of the siblings and a brave 8-year-old granddaughter began taking turns.  The expression on their faces was absolutely priceless as they popped a jelly bean into their mouths, awaiting the taste that would make its way into their taste buds and then recognition.  When the flavor was a good one the face lit up as they chewed and swallowed.  When it fell into the other category the sounds made along with the contorted face as they found their way to a garbage container was absolutely hilarious.  These were flavors that would make anyone react--skunk, stinky socks, lawn clippings, baby wipes, toothpaste, moldy cheese, rotten egg, barf.  Do not ask me why anyone would keep going back for more, but they did.  And the laughter rolled.

Syd, the brave grandgirl, chose one which was either popcorn or booger--yes, I said booger.  Pop, chew, taste--oh no, it was booger!  Her approach was to discard the vile candy and head into the kitchen for an aerosol shot of whipped cream before coming back for more.  Cleansing her palate as it were.  An image that will live forever in my mind was when my son chomped down on one that tasted like canned dog food.  He has a stomach like cast iron, but I really thought he was going to lose it on that one!

They say that the best things in life are free, and I do agree.  My daughter had to buy that little box of fun, but for me it falls in the category of being a best thing.  The memory of that fun time together and the laughter that filled the air will continue to live within me.  Even though there are upheavals in the family's circumstances, Easter 2014 was a good day.