When I made my confession, I figured I would end up as the bad guy in the scenario. It turns out that I had completely misjudged the situation.
My daughter made a special request for one of my wife’s recent trips to the grocery store. Bridget wanted Jell-O, like any good American kid does. So a four-pack of Jell-O cups ended up in our refrigerator.
As things sometimes happen, they sat there for a few days. She asked for them and got them, but had moved on to other snacks in the house. I totally get it. My brain works that way sometimes too.
When I needed a snack for my lunch at work one day, I spied the fruity treat and decided to open the pack. I knew I might suffer the wrath of an angry teenager, but figured I stood on solid ground here. She had her chance for the first crack at them and passed. Besides, she could easily claim the other three once I had my fix.
I fessed up at dinner that night. I don’t know how the topic came up in conversation, but I figured I would come clean. I got a disapproving look, but have pretty much grown immune to that kind of thing over the past 13 years.
But I had never anticipated what came next. I assured her that I would not eat anymore of the Jell-O, and my wife did the same. But Maria wasn’t feeling any parental guilt. She had a confession of her own.
My wife does not like Jell-O.
We just celebrated our eighteenth anniversary. How does she hold onto a deal-breaker like that for so long? I guess I just assumed that she enjoyed Jell-O like right-minded people everywhere.
Once I found this out, I did the only natural thing. I went to Facebook to bare my soul and gain support from my family and friends. Big mistake.
Apparently, I live amongst people who dislike Jell-O. People jumped to defend Maria’s point of view and let me know their feelings about Jell-O. First a niece. Then a nephew. Even my older sister who is also my godmother. How could they betray me like this? How could they betray Jell-O like this.
Sure, some people defile the tasty gelatin dessert by putting fruit in it or making it into some weird molded form. Taking issue with those things makes perfect sense to me. But I honestly don’t know how anyone can dislike regular old Jello-O.
Plus, as one friend who came to defense pointe dout, you can use Jell-O as a delivery system for adult beverages. How can anyone complain about a food which can do that?
As I am wont to do, I try to look at the bright side of any situation. Even though my wife and I have spent so much time together, we still discover things about each other. I may not understand how she can dislike Jell-O, but I can accept it.
But if she says one bad word about pudding, things could get ugly. A man has to have his principles.