There is simply no reason why some things pop into my head. Labor Day is certainly a holiday, but it’s the last Summer holiday. That means grilling, potato salad, chips, cold drinks from an ice cooler, watermelon. You know, summer stuff. There is no Jell-O in sight. If it was in sight, it would be melting in the heat.

But there I was, minding my own Labor Day summer holiday business, and Jell-O came to mind. And not just any sort of Jell-O, but a Jell-O mold on a crystal plate. The kind that you bring out for Thanksgiving or Christmas. The jiggly kind. The really, really jiggly kind. Yeah, that kind of Jell-O.

My wife is from a really big family. That’s saying a lot, as we have eight kids ourselves. She’s one of ten, and all of them are married with kids and some even have grandchildren. Big family gatherings are a hoot. One thing that you can be sure of is that there will be lots of food. A small gathering is 40, a large one can come close to 80. I’m not joking, we’ve had 80 close family members come together for a holiday meal.

And those holiday meals often have Jell-O. The fancy, pretty Jell-O molds that you see in magazines. Naw, none of us are gourmets, but honestly Jell-O molds are something that doesn’t take all that much work, and we eat it…especially if there are mounds of Cool Whip available.

So I was out on the tractor, mowing our acreage and thinking about holiday dinners and the several Jell-O molds that have to be removed from their mold and take to the table. Navigating from the kitchen to the tables with near 80 people in the house is akin to parkour. The darned Jell-O is jiggling all over the place, trying to jump off the plate. Conversations are going, so the occasional “excuse me” is often unheard, and loads of kids are running through the house at knee-level.

Somehow we’ve never ended up with a Jell-O mold on the floor. That fact alone simply amazes me. But more importantly is the reason why. Envision carrying a Jell-O mold on one of those fancy Christmas plates. The kind that you’re only allowed to get out during the holidays. The ones that look so pretty, but serve virtually no practical purpose. Through years of experimentation, I’ve learned that if you put them in the fridge or freezer before the party and then move the Jell-O onto a chilled plate, it will serve better. That’s you’re practical tip for today. But, the chilled glass makes for a slippery surface when you’re carrying it. Especially if you’ve been working in the kitchen all day.

So there you are, navigating the crowd, Jell-O jiggling like crazy, and yet you make it to the table. Why?

Because when we’re carrying that Jell-O, we know that it’s going to jiggle, and the more we try to stop the jiggling, the worse it will get. It’s like a mini-earthquake under our own control. The best thing to do is head towards the table and make as few adjustments as possible. Let the Jell-O jiggle, just don’t let it slip off the serving plate.

That’s kind of a metaphor for life, isn’t it? Sometimes we just have to let life happen (as you get older you try to avoid using the phrase “let life jiggle” as it brings up all sorts of images you don’t want to think about). Letting life happen sometimes is hard, but like the jiggling Jell-O, it’s the best approach. You simply can’t control everything, and sometimes the more you try to control things…the worse it gets.

I’m trying to take this approach with my hectic life. I’m trying to relax and let life happen. Life is jiggling all around me, but somehow it’s pretty much working out. Eventually things settle down, but then an aftershock comes along and things start jiggling again.

After 50 years on the planet I’m finally learning to just let the Jell-O jiggle. How about you?