Don't Cry Over Dropped Forks

It was getting late so rather than eat in Salem we decided to hit the road, not to mention I erroneously wore shoes two sizes too small. We got back in the car and headed southwest with a plan to stop on the Mass Pike before Mando would have to begin his evening fast.

After about an hour or so we pulled off into a Thruway rest area. Sure enough, there was a Boston Market. I thought that would be fitting enough given a Boston trip. Mando and I had never eaten at Boston Market before so it would be the perfect opportunity to give it a go.
                                                                             
I've noticed that when dining in a cafeteria style dining hall people tend to censor their behavior less than let's say more formal venues. I spied a family to my left. A man, his wife a two absolutely beautiful tow head toddlers, a boy, and a girl. The American Dream family. One of the tiny toe heads dropped a plastic eating utensil on the floor. It then that Dream Dad's demeanor changed in a flash. I watched the crimson rise up his neck into his cheeks. Black and gray puffs of smoke began to billow from his ears, which by the way matched identically from the smoke of his new balance tennis shoes as he stomped back to the Boston Market counter to retrieve baby tow a new fork. I wondered what his blood pressure might be and turned my attention back to Mando.

Mando was just licking some mash potatoes that he spilled from the side of his plate. Eating has never come easy for Mando. Chewing and breathing at the same time is especially hard.Managing to get a fork anywhere near his mouth even harder. DROP THINGS? FORGET ABOUT IT! I mean seriously FORGET...ABOUT...IT. That's what we do.  Why on earth would I even care? I am grateful just to see him breathe, that is a miracle in itself, anything beyond that...magic. That's not to say that I don't still try and teach Mando things like etiquette and manners. Sometimes he finds the rules silly. He is patient with me.  "Why must we keep our elbows off the table?"

What goes on in the lives of Mr. and Mrs. American Dream and the Tow Tots is none of my business. Who am I to judge?

I will tell you this, however. I have spent many a moment having envy of the Dream couples of America. What a privilege it must be to take so much for granted. I have spent days on my knees till they were raw and bled, begging the creator to restore some bit of function in my child's body while others had everything and never seemed to notice.

It is a privilege you would be wise to count amongst your blessings...

All in all, I count Mando..the way he is as one of my GREATEST BLESSINGS EVER!