April 24 – “Like-ing Blue Bell”

In spite of the regularity of placing my daily blog title and address on FaceBook, I rarely post much of anything else.  Oh, there is the occasional comment on a friend’s photo, and I do “like” things every now and then.  But yesterday Chris had a great idea in the wake of the horrifying recall of all Blue Bell ice cream products. 

Back when we used to live in Colorado, our vacation trips amounted to “over the mountains and through the pass to grandparents house we go” visits.  At the time Blue Bell ice cream was just not available in those Northern reaches of the world, so we would often stop at the first available gas station, not just to fill up the car, but also to get a few pints of Blue Bell.  Chris’ parents would literally fill up their freezer with different flavors of Blue Bell in anticipation of our visit.  That was their unique way of spoiling our children.  Blue Bell for dessert after every meal.  Blue Bell for an evening snack while watching TV.  Blue Bell for breakfast.  One more bowl of Blue Bell before we hit the road.  It was difficult for us as parents to regulate the input of that much … OK, who am I kidding?  We had our own bowl right along with them. 

On one such trip the boys decided to create the perfect photo op for their picture-loving Mom.  They filled the table with cartons of Blue Bell, grabbed a bowl full and a spoon, and dug in.  That was the photo Chris remembered yesterday.  It took me a while, but I finally found it in our archives and posted it, along with a sigh.  And the response has been overwhelming.  This morning the photo has 94 “likes” and 17 comments.  I reconnected with my old high school counselor and friend (he was a groomsman in our wedding).  There were people from our time in Colorado, Houston, Mansfield, and Galveston.  Family.  Old friends.  People I have no idea who they are (That has to be a terrible sentence grammatically).  All in all it has been really fun to reminisce.  Maybe I can find some more old pictures and see who comes forth to identify themselves. 

Job 36:24-26 says, “Remember to extol his work, which men have praised in song.  All mankind has seen it; men gaze on it from afar.  How great is God — beyond our understanding!  The number of his years is past finding out.”

Father, thank you for connections with family and friends, even if it is over “sad” occasions.  Amen.