Joy in a Jar

Lately I've had a slight obsession with glass jars. I save them, wash them, peel the labels off. I store things in them...sunflower seeds, cotton balls, q-tips, extra change.

They're simple. Graceful. They go with everything. And they are very real; with glass jars, what you see is what you get.

No games. No guesses.

The Mermaid has picked up on my obsession and has made it her mission to find things to store in my jars. Last night she picked some dandelions from the backyard, filled a jar with water and put them in. Then she placed the jar on the table for dinner and announced, "We need a little joy for dinner."

We all sat down. The girls' hair was messy, their ponytails and braids having long fell out. The Tadpole was a bit grumpy, and I was a bit grumpy myself from having to walk/hold/sing to him all day. But I think it's important for us to eat at least one meal together as a family, so I got dinner on the table and we sat down to eat, with all our flaws and imperfections.

We are like the glass jars collecting in my house. We are simple, but graceful. We may shatter, we may crack, and we may not be perfect, but we are real.

What you see is what you get.

And fill us with the right things...then we can provide a lot of joy.

Joy in a Jar