My
mom played a cool trick on me when I was a little boy. She would pretend she
couldn’t get a jar of peanut butter open and then ask me to give it a shot. To
my joyous surprise, I was able to get the lid off every time.
I took this special talent into adulthood, opening jars of pickles, olives,
jellies and any other sealed packaging that others found challenging.
Recently, however, manufacturers have been messing with me. They have put their
lids on more tightly than ever. I’m struggling, and I don’t like it one bit.
A few weeks ago, I was losing a tussle with a jar of Grey Poupon mustard. My
grandson asked if he could try to get the lid off. He gave it a couple tugs and
passed the unopened jar back to me, saying, “Sorry, Grandpa. I can’t open it
either. Maybe you should give it one last shot.”
I smiled as I opened the mustard bottle with ease.
As I age, I notice so many of the little kindnesses in life come full circle.